Online Reporter
AT THE just-ended Strategic Planning Review Workshop in Kadoma, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Thomas Utete Wushe, outlined the technical and institutional reforms underpinning Zimbabwe’s ambitious 2027 mining transformation programme, as Minister Dr Eng. Polite Kambamura called for accelerated implementation, greater accountability and measurable economic returns from the country’s mineral resources.
Reflecting on the workshop’s outcomes, the Permanent Secretary explained the importance of translating the Ministry’s five-year strategic framework into practical, adequately resourced programmes capable of supporting mineral production, formalisation of artisanal miners, beneficiation, environmental sustainability and investment growth.
The seven-day workshop, held at Kadoma Rainbow Hotel from November 1 to 7, brought together senior Government officials, technical departments, State enterprises and industry stakeholders to review the Ministry’s performance and align its 2027 operational priorities with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.
At the centre of the deliberations was a fundamental question: how can Zimbabwe convert its substantial mineral endowment into increased economic productivity, industrial development, employment creation and sustainable benefits for mining communities?
The Permanent Secretary’s assessment of the planning process emphasised the need to move away from administrative targets that measure activities alone towards performance systems that assess actual improvements in mineral production, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and investment.
“The most important outcome of the workshop is not a document but a set of enforceable commitments,” he declared in his opening remarks.
The strategy is anchored on four principal outcomes covering improved governance and administration, enhanced mining sector growth, environmental protection and an improved investment climate, supported by six performance indicators and 43 planned outputs.
According to figures presented in his opening address, mining contributes approximately 14.5 percent to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product and accounts for more than 76 percent of export earnings, making its performance critical to the country’s economic development trajectory.
While the Ministry’s draft 2027 performance matrix projects mineral exports of US$8.6 billion, the broader strategic ambition is to progressively increase annual mineral export earnings to between US$13 billion and US$15 billion through increased production, mineral processing and investment in new mining projects.
However, the discussions also exposed structural and operational deficiencies that must be addressed if the targets are to be achieved.
A performance review presented by Chief Director of Technical Services Engineer C. S. Tahwa revealed that 3,000 mining inspections had been conducted against a benchmark of 5,400, with inadequate transport, funding constraints and limited field logistics affecting regulatory coverage.
The Ministry reported that 5,344 small-scale miners had received training against a target of 4,000, while five mineral beneficiation plants had been commissioned against a benchmark of four.
Environmental compliance stood at 65 percent, with all reported mining accidents investigated, although the review acknowledged the need for stronger preventive mechanisms to address safety risks.
The findings underscored the importance of aligning annual targets with available technical personnel, equipment, transport, information systems and financial resources.
For the Ministry’s administrative leadership, the challenge is therefore not simply to increase numerical targets, but to ensure that inspection programmes, geological services, mineral title administration and environmental monitoring are supported by sufficient operational capacity.
One of the most significant recommendations emerging from the workshop concerns the formalisation and economic empowerment of artisanal and small-scale miners.
The draft 2027 programme targets the capacitation of 5,000 small-scale miners through technical training, access to formal mining rights, improved financing mechanisms and the adoption of safer, more productive mining technologies.
The initiative is intended to transform artisanal mining from a largely subsistence-based activity into an organised component of the national mineral economy, capable of contributing to mineral output, employment and local industrial development.
From an engineering perspective, effective formalisation requires a coordinated system incorporating secure mineral tenure, geological assessment, mine planning, appropriate excavation methods, mineral recovery efficiency, occupational safety and environmental compliance.
The programme proposes the expansion of mobile technical training initiatives across the provinces, enabling miners to acquire practical skills in mineral extraction, processing, basic mine design, ground support, ventilation and safe equipment operation.
Improved access to financing through the Mining Industry Loan Fund is also envisaged to support mechanisation and enable qualifying operators to move beyond inefficient extraction methods.
The empowerment drive is closely linked to reforms in mining title administration, an area that received considerable attention during the Kadoma deliberations.
The Ministry’s Mining Cadastre Information Management System, which had reached 88.5 percent implementation, is expected to progress towards full operationalisation, supported by improved digital records, spatial data management and transparent mineral rights allocation.
The programme also addresses more than 60,000 digitised mining claims and the need to eliminate administrative backlogs affecting mining title applications.
Provincial and district dispute-resolution mechanisms are proposed to address overlapping claims, boundary conflicts and competing ownership interests, with the 2027 framework targeting the resolution of 10 percent of outstanding disputes and appeals.
The Permanent Secretary’s Dr Thomas Utete Wushe’s engagement with prospectors and mining operators at the Kadoma Mines Office during the workshop provided an opportunity to examine practical challenges affecting claim registration, documentation and regulatory compliance.
Such engagements are important in ensuring that mining policies respond to operational realities rather than remaining confined to administrative processes.
Minister Dr Eng. Polite Kambamura reinforced these priorities by directing the Ministry to complete the outstanding mining cadastre reforms and accelerate the finalisation of the Mines and Minerals Bill, which is expected to modernise the legislative framework governing the industry.
The Minister also called for stronger mechanisms to address illegal mining, improve mineral accountability and promote the formalisation of artisanal operators through coordinated institutional interventions.
Mineral beneficiation emerged as another central component of the strategy, with the 2027 programme targeting US$7.2 billion in exports of beneficiated minerals.
The policy direction seeks to increase Zimbabwe’s participation in downstream mineral value chains by expanding domestic processing capacity, improving mineral recovery technologies and reducing the export of lower-value mineral products.
Dr Kambamura emphasised the importance of converting beneficiation policy commitments into operational projects that can contribute directly to Zimbabwe’s industrialisation ambitions.
The strategy places particular emphasis on lithium processing, with developments at Sinomine Bikita Minerals, Kamativi and Gwanda Lithium featuring among the projects relevant to the country’s industrialisation ambitions.
The January 2027 policy deadline for phasing out exports of lithium concentrates is expected to increase pressure on producers to develop higher-value processing capacity, including the production of lithium sulphate.
However, beneficiation requires more than constructing processing plants. It demands sustainable power supplies, appropriate metallurgical technology, reliable water infrastructure, skilled technical personnel, competitive logistics and stable mineral feedstock.
These considerations are critical to ensuring that downstream processing investments remain commercially viable and contribute meaningfully to Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector.
The Ministry has also identified mineral export monitoring as a priority, setting a target of 300 mineral export quality assurance inspections for 2027.
Working with the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe and relevant border authorities, the programme seeks to strengthen mineral classification, product verification, export documentation and compliance across mineral marketing channels.
Environmental sustainability and occupational safety form another major component of the proposed implementation programme.
The Ministry is targeting 5,800 mining inspections and 3,000 pollution abatement and metallurgical beneficiation inspections during 2027, supported by stronger collaboration with the Environmental Management Agency.
The strategy also provides for the investigation of 100 percent of reported mining accidents, alongside expanded mercury abatement initiatives and safety, health and environmental training for artisanal and small-scale miners.
The technical emphasis will be on preventive risk management, including underground ground stability, shaft integrity, ventilation, machinery safety, controlled blasting, water management and safer mineral-processing methods.
Environmental interventions are expected to address mine rehabilitation, responsible waste disposal, tailings management, pollution control and the progressive reduction of mercury use in gold processing.
The findings from the 2026 performance review further highlighted the need to improve inspection coverage through better logistical support and risk-based deployment of technical officers.
The Minister’s policy direction also extends to the development of Zimbabwe’s geological knowledge base.
At the conclusion of the workshop, Dr Kambamura called for intensified aeromagnetic and geological exploration to establish the extent and economic value of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.
He observed that while the country possesses critical and transition minerals, insufficient geological data continues to limit understanding of the quantities and distribution of certain deposits.
The planned expansion of high-resolution aeromagnetic surveys is expected to improve geological interpretation, identify prospective mineral-bearing structures and provide scientific information for future exploration programmes.
Such information is essential for reducing exploration uncertainty, attracting investment and supporting evidence-based management of the country’s mineral resources.
The reviewed strategy further proposes the implementation of eight bilateral and multilateral agreements, three public-private partnerships, three research papers and 30 human capital development programmes, alongside the maintenance of 16 ICT applications.
These interventions are intended to strengthen institutional efficiency, technical research, digital service delivery and investment facilitation.
The recommendations emerging from the seven-day workshop consolidate the Minister’s policy priorities into an implementation framework requiring coordinated action by technical departments, provincial mining offices, State enterprises and industry stakeholders.
Under Dr Eng. Polite Kambamura’s leadership, the Ministry is prioritising legislative reform, beneficiation, mineral exploration, formalisation and a predictable investment environment, while the Permanent Secretary’s administrative mandate centres on converting those priorities into funded departmental programmes with measurable performance indicators.
Implementation will require clearly designated responsibilities, realistic project schedules, regular technical reviews and appropriate mechanisms for identifying risks and correcting performance deficiencies.
The workshop also emphasised the importance of institutional coordination, encouraging departments to eliminate administrative fragmentation and strengthen information-sharing across the mining sector.
In his closing address, the Minister further stressed the need for a Corporate Social Investment Framework that ensures mineral-producing communities benefit from resource development through infrastructure, employment and sustainable economic opportunities.
As Zimbabwe enters the next phase of NDS2 implementation, the proposed 2027 programme represents an attempt to connect mineral resource governance with productivity, technical modernisation, environmental responsibility and inclusive economic development.
For the Ministry’s leadership, the ultimate measure of success will not be the number of workshops conducted or policies drafted, but the extent to which the agreed reforms improve mining title administration, expand legitimate economic participation, strengthen safety standards, increase mineral production and generate greater value from Zimbabwe’s natural resources.
The message emerging from Kadoma is that strategic planning must be followed by disciplined execution, with the Minister providing policy direction and the Ministry’s technical and administrative structures responsible for delivering measurable outcomes.
As the Permanent Secretary For Mines and Mining Development Dr Thomas Utete Wushe declared at the opening of the deliberations: “Let us get to work. Let us deliver.”
