Vusumuzi Dube
Sunday News Reporter
Stakeholders in the mining sector have expressed appreciation for the formation of the Association for Mining Journalists in Zimbabwe (AMJZ), an association that aims to equip its members with specialised knowledge and skills to report effectively on the mining industry.
Mining stands as a crucial economic pillar in Zimbabwe, contributing over 75 percent of national export earnings.
Gold, which is the country’s biggest export earner, is expected to generate US$4 billion annually while platinum — the second largest export earner in 2023 generated US$2,1 billion against a projection of US$3 billion.
The Government encourages the mining industry to boost production, emphasising the importance of gold in providing credibility to the newly launched currency, ZiG
The currency is backed by gold, other precious minerals, and foreign currency reserves.
President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, Henrietta Rushwaya praised the establishment of AMJZ, recognising the vital role journalists play in this sector.
“As small-scale miners, we applaud the formation of such an association especially given the fact that they are the ones who deal with the on-goings in the mining sector on a daily basis,” she said.
“And it was crucial that they also get organised so that when we have issues that need to be attended to whether from a mining perspective . . . touring perspective, and from a general Zimbabwean perspective that involves the reportage from the mining sector, they come in handy.
“It’s difficult for me, for instance, as ZMF president, to know who reports on mining from The Herald, Chronicle, Sunday News, New Zimbabwe, or digital media such as Mining Zimbabwe just to mention a few.
“But once they (journalists) are organised as an entity, it makes life easier for us to ask our public relations department to get in touch with their public relations person who will then disseminate information accordingly.
“And from a reportage point of view, it is also crucial in the sense that when they write stories, they come up with the correct version of the story.”
The Gold Miners Association of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Irvin Chinyenze said: “Though we are yet to be fully apprised of AMJZ, the initiative is quite noble and we support it fully. The industry is better served when the reporting is objective and from an informed position.”
Some of AMJZ key objectives include capacity building, organising mine visits, and forming partnerships within the mining sector.
It plans to conduct training sessions, workshops, and seminars to equip journalists with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively report on mining, encompassing technical terminology, regulatory frameworks, and economic factors relevant to the industry.
In addition, the association will arrange regular visits to various mining sites in Zimbabwe to provide journalists with firsthand insights into mining operations.
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