adminNgoni Dapira
MANICALAND gold deliveries to the country’s sole gold buyer, Fidelity Printers and Refiners recorded the lowest ever, 80 kilogrammes, between January and May this year, Post Business has learnt.
Fidelity Printers and Refiners, gold refinery director, Mr Fredreck Kunaka, revealed this recently during a stakeholders meeting with the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, organised by the Manicaland Miners Association.
Mr Kunaka said the disappointing gold deliveries from both large-scale and small-scale miners in the province were indicators of underhand dealings.
“President Mugabe while launching the Zim-Asset blueprint said mining would be pivotal in the development of the country . . .
“Manicaland has potential, but there are also a lot of problems especially in Chimanimani.
“Imagine from January to May this year only 80kgs was from Manicaland including deliveries by large scale miners.
“This is too little compared to previous years, which only hints on underhand dealings,” said Mr Kunaka
Mr Kunaka said Fidelity does not buy gold from unregistered miners and urged all stakeholders including artisanal miners, to register.
He added that the London Bullion Market Responsible Gold Guidance, an international watchdog of gold miners, to avoid contributing to conflict, human rights abuses, environmental degradation, terrorist financing practices and money laundering was on the lookout of such discrepancies.
“We suspect there are a lot of underhand dealings between miners and millers with the majority of the gold being smuggled out while little is sold to us (Fidelity), but this should stop because you are shooting yourself in the foot as a national of this country.
“Last year from January to June there was no gold from small-scale miners. Much of it came in the second half after a following-up operation . . .
“If millers are offering prices that are too low the solution should not be to smuggle the gold out of the country, but to approach us,” he said.
On the other hand, the record low deliveries could also have been compounded by the closure of the Penhalonga mining concern, DTZ-OZGEO in 2013, which had the capacity to produce up to 20kg per month.
Early this year the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe mobilised $50 million to support gold miners.
The aim of the gold mobilisation programme is to increase gold production to around 30-tonnes per year by 2020 and revenue of around $1,5 million at the current price.
In 2008, Zimbabwe’s gold mining production declined to an all-time low of three tonnes, while its highest ever production was 27 tonnes a year in 1999.
Online Reporter