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Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has urged the newly appointed Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa to continue implementing policies that promote the growth and development of small-scale miners.Minister Chidhakwa took over from Dr Obert Mpofu, who moved to Transport and Infrastructure Development.
“We are very happy that a new Cabinet is now in place and a new Minister of Mines has been appointed.
“It is our hope that the new minister of Mines and Mining Development will continue working for the growth and development of small-scale miners in the country,” said ZMF president Mr Trinos Nkomo in an interview last week.
“We have worked with Dr Mpofu before who worked tirelessly in championing the development of the small-scale mining industry.
“For example, during his tenure, gold buying centres were created, small-scale miners have been able to secure basic mining equipment under the mine mechanisation programme,” he said.
He said Minister Chidhakwa should also focus on ensuring that there was sustainable development of small-scale miners through a further reduction of mining activities and licence fees.
In May this year, the Government reduced the mining licence fees by 50 percent and also relaxed conditions of small-scale miners’ registration.
Mr Nkomo urged the new minister to ensure that the country continued with its exploration activities so that more mineral deposits were exposed.
Zimbabwe is endowed with vast mineral resources ranging from gold, platinum, diamonds, chrome uranium and tantalite.
“There should also be a deliberate policy that will allow small-scale miners to venture into mining minerals such as diamonds. For example, the Government should try to relax some of the requirements that are required for an indigenous small-scale miner to extract diamonds.
In the diamond industry an investor needs to have a huge amount of money to secure a prospectus before mining and this is also limiting small-scale miners from venturing into gemstones extraction,” he said.
Mr Nkomo said the gemstones in Manicaland were alluvial which makes it easy for small-scale miners to extract. He said the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development needed to speed up lifting a ban on chrome ore exports so that small-scale miners resuscitated their operations.
The Government has indicated plans to review the ban on chrome exports. Following the ban, small-scale miners have accumulated a stockpile of more than 25 000 tonnes of chrome.
Government has recognised the contribution that the small-scale mining sector plays in economic development through programmes such as the Mining Industry Loan Fund established to support small-scale miners with basic equipment.
Online Reporter