Non-compliant miners to lose licences

Conrad Mupesa and Precious Manomano

The Government will not renew licences for non-compliant miners who are not adhering to sustainable mining practices as it steps up efforts to arrest the massive environmental degradation witnessed in many districts across the country.

The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) yesterday also warned artisanal and small-scale miners against the rampant illegal practices saying stricter enforcement of the law was looming.

Addressing delegates at the official launch of a three-day ZMF induction and stakeholder consultative workshop at the Zimbabwe Institute of Public Administration and Management (ZIPAM) in Darwendale, Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando said while Government recognised and supported artisanal mining operations that had seen huge gold contributions, renewal of mining licences would be subject to miners’ sustainable mining practices which were environmentally friendly and lawful.

“It is imperative that every miner complies with the sustainable mining initiatives. Before you (miners) start mining, you should submit your site of works plan to the Mines Ministry and get an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

“Once you start mining, make sure that you comply with the provisions of the environmental laws of the country. The level of environmental degradation taking place in some places is simply unacceptable.

“There will be a lot of initiatives to try and make sure that is corrected we will come up with measures to ensure that before the renewal of any mining concession, Government is satisfied that the miner is complying with environmental provisions,” he said.

Cabinet this week approved the establishment of gold service centres to streamline and support the operations of artisanal gold miners by ensuring they operate legally and in a safe environment.

Artisanal miners are expected to get machinery and transport from the centres to provide sufficient ore. The artisanal miners are also expected to benefit through higher returns from the processing of the feed ore they supply to the centres.

Minister Chitando was optimistic about the achievement of a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023 with anticipation of leapfrogging last year’s US$5,3 billion to US$8 billion by the end of this year.

He said the Government was coming up with stringent measures to reinforce tax collections and delivery of minerals to the responsible organs, with gold going to Fidelity Printers while all other minerals were supposed to be taken to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ).

Minister Chitando said before renewing any mining concession, Government would ensure that a miner was tax compliant.

Compliance with the country’s labour laws was also a prerequisite before issuance of a mining licence.

“As we grow our mining industry through more interests in the mining sector, it is important that the sector grows for the benefit of the sector, the economy and Zimbabwe, but in a sustainable manner with every mining activity in compliance with the laws of the country,” said Minister Chitando.

Presidential Envoy and Ambassador at Large to Europe and the Americas, Prophet Uebert Angel said a US$12 billion mining industry would have a meaningful contribution towards the achievement of an upper-middle-income by 2030 in line with the vision of the Second Republic.

He said miners should adopt sustainable spending practices and entrepreneurial support skills.

Artisanal miners have been known to spend their money extravagantly while not investing in equipment for expansion.

Mashonanaland West Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said mining was going to contribute to the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

ZMF president, Henrietta Rushwaya said at least 1,5 million artisanal gold miners were operating across the country contributing 60 percent of the yellow metal to Fidelity yearly.

A potential international investor, Mr Ajay Agrarwal, chief executive of an Indian-based NV Mining Group, said Zimbabwe was an investment destination of choice.