Mining sector on course to attaining set targets

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

The two-day annual Chamber of Mines conference has started in Victoria Falls with a Gold Sector Mining Symposium where Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando reiterated that the mining sector is on course to meet the targeted US$12 billion next year.

Gold is expected to contribute US$4 billion.

Local and foreign delegates are attending the conference which will be officially opened by President Mnangagwa tomorrow under the theme: Consolidating growth drivers for the mining industry.

In his remarks at the Gold Sector Symposium, Minister Chitando said some minerals will exceed target while some may miss, but overall, the vision will be achieved.

“When we look at our US$12 billion target, where gold target is US$4 billion, we are on course to achieve the US$12 billion. You will find that in terms of achievements, some minerals will exceed set target and some will be lower but at the end of the day the US$12 billion will be achieved,” said Minister Chitando.

Speaking earlier, Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya bemoaned delays by Government to formalize the small-scale mining sector saying this was affecting operations.

She said lack of financial loans, resources, information and geo data are some of the major challenges facing the artisanal small scale gold mining sector which has an estimated 1,5 million members countrywide.

Tanzania Chamber of Mines chief executive Mr Benjamin Mchwampaka who was keynote speaker for the gold symposium said there are many lessons the Zimbabwean small scale gold sector can learn from the Southern African country.

He said the sector also has about 1,5 million members and had organised the players in the sector into regional miners associations where every region in that country has formalized small scale mining groups.