admin
Oliver Kazunga Business Reporter
SMALL-scale miners are targeting to produce at least 40 percent of the 15 tonnes of gold the Government projects this year. The projection by small-scale miners was being driven by a number of strategies the new Government intends to implement to foster meaningful exploitation of minerals in the country.
As part of the strategies to ensure the country derives meaningful value from exploitation of its resources, Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa is on record as having said his ministry was working on reviewing mining claim identification and licensing processes.
Stakeholders have described the rates in the mining sector as “too high”, and was stifling growth and development of the industry.
At the moment, licence fees range between $500 and $5 million.
The Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation first vice president Mr Morgan Moyo said their members aimed at delivering at least 40 percent of the 15 tonnes of gold the country projects this year.
However, he said this would be determined by the pace at which Government moves in implementing policies that promote the growth of the mining industry.
“Minister Chidhakwa has announced a number of strategies that his ministry will implement to promote growth of the mining industry. In our view as ZMF, for example the review of mining activities and licencing fees downwards will see many people venturing into mining.
“This will create employment as well as boosting mineral output. Depending on the pace the Government will take towards implementing mining development strategies, small-scale miners are targeting to produce between 40 percent and 50 percent of the total gold output expected this year,” he said.
In 2004, small-scale miners accounted for 60 percent of the 29 tonnes of gold Zimbabwe produced.
Mr Moyo said if small-scale miners were capacitated there was nothing that would stop them from repeating what they have done before.
“We are looking forward to seeing the Government assisting us with mining equipment so that we boost output. Presently, most of our members do not have the basic mining equipment and we are hopeful that the new Government will look into that,” he said.
In a separate interview, the Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Council national organising secretary Mr Ignatius Gonah were not taken seriously by the inclusive Government.
“Now that we have a new Government, we are hopeful that mining activities and licence fees will be reduced to levels that will be conducive to promote the growth of the small-scale mining sector. Since 2009, the mining rates have not been user-friendly and did not accommodate new comers into the mining sector,” he said.
Mr Gonah said small-scale miners needed working capital and equipment support for them to fully exploit the mineral resources.
“It is very much possible that we will deliver at least 40 percent of the total gold output Zimbabwe is targeting this year provided we get financial and machinery support from Government,” said Mr Gonah.
In the 2013 mid-term national budget, the Ministry of Finance revised downwards gold output from 17 tonnes to 15 tonnes due to perennial challenges related to lack of long-term financing among others.
Last year, Zimbabwe produced 15 tonnes of gold with the small-scale mining sector accounting for a third of the mineral’s output.
Online Reporter