Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
LOCAL and international mining machinery manufacturers, suppliers, and engineering companies are re-focusing their innovations and supplies towards mechanising artisanal and small-scale miners to help them improve efficiency and production.
Small-scale miners are contributing more than 60 percent of the gold deliveries in the country, an indication that the sector is playing a pivotal role in propelling the mining industry.
While the figure remains significant, gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refiners by small-scale miners had decreased from 20,1 tonnes last year to 16,5 tonnes, a development which the Government attributed to poor mechanisation in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector and lack of geological reports to assess the resources within mining locations.
As a way to mitigate the challenges, the Government of Zimbabwe set aside US$5 million towards the capacitation of small-scale miners and another US$5 million was channelled into the establishment of five gold service centres. The just-ended 27th edition of the Mining, Engineering and Transport Expo (Mine Entra) in Bulawayo witnessed a number of innovations focused on improving mechanisation in artisanal and small-scale mining.
One of the mining machinery manufacturers and suppliers Shepco Industrial Supplies showcased its latest innovation, the 2,5-tonne and six-tonne lithium battery-powered locomotive specifically designed for small-scale mining.
The company’s managing director, Mr Ezekiel Masanganise, said in 2023 they exhibited their then-new invention which was the lithium battery-powered 10-tonne locomotive. They have since invented smaller ones to accommodate smaller requirements.
“Last year we only had one size which is ideal for big established mines. This year we have put several sizes to accommodate the small requirements or what you can call small-scale miners. From the 10-tonne that we had last year, now we have put together the six-tonne locomotive as well as the 2,5-tonne.
“We manufacture from scratch the 2,5-tonne lithium-powered locomotive and all that we are buying is steel. On the six-tonne we are working with our agents who are in South Africa who are our manufacturers. In terms of service management, we are doing it here locally. Local guys have got the engineering expertise to maintain it,” said Mr Masanganise.
He said the innovations were inspired by the need to cater for small requirements of work, where the shafts are small and where the requirements are not big in terms of the ore to be ferried. He said the advantages of the locomotive is that it is manufactured locally, cheap and fits even in smaller shafts.
“The other ones we had initially manufactured are for very big shafts or for established mines. When it comes to mines that are starting, which are looking at smaller volumes, then the 2,5 and six-tonne locomotives are there to help them,” said Mr Masanganise.
International exhibitors also exhibited various machinery that seeks to improve work in small-scale mines. Mr Wang Weimin representing Bojin Mining Technology also showed the news crew some of the machinery that can help mechanise small-scale mines and improve productivity.
“We brought with us a loader for an underground mining environment. This is a small loader which can operate in a tunnel size of 1,5 metres in width and 1,8 metres in height. This machine can load two tonnes per minute. So one machine in terms of productivity is equivalent to 20 human workers and is powered by electricity.
“This means that there is zero smoke, zero air pollution underground and the price is affordable for small-scale miners,” said Mr Weimin. — @nyeve14
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