Tendai Gukutikwa
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
A SIGNIFICANT investment of US$20 million by a United States-based firm, Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd, is set to revive the dormant gold mining industry in Penhalonga, where extensive road rehabilitation works and setting up of heavy-duty mining equipment is already underway, The Manica Post can reveal.
In recent years, Penhalonga had become notorious for disorganised, and often illegal mining activities, resulting in severe consequences for human life and the environment.
Established in 1895, Penhalonga Mine was a significant operation that spurred the growth of the surrounding villages.
By the early 1900s, over 160 gold mines were operational in the area, particularly along Mutare River.
Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd, the mining giant behind the new investment, began exploration and drilling operations in Penhalonga just over two years ago.
The company has already reached a shaft depth of 220 metres, and plans to exceed 1 000 metres when operating at full capacity.
This will make it the second gold mine in Manicaland, after Redwing Gold Mine, to reach such depths.
The company’s target is to reach 500 metres by the end of this year, and employ about 500 people, most of them from the local community.
As the company prepares to commence lucrative gold production, the local community is eagerly anticipating the benefits that this investment will bring.
A recent drive through the Penhalonga community revealed a welcome transformation.
The road leading to Penhalonga Business Centre, once a treacherous death trap with a 15-metre hollow underground tunnel threatening its collapse, is now undergoing extensive repairs.
The road had become a menace to locals and motorists alike, with large cracks and an undulating terrain making it nearly impassable.
However, thanks to the intervention of Portfolio Mining (Pvt) Ltd, and local contractors, comprehensive repairs are now underway.
Visible improvements can also be seen inside Penhalonga Police Station and along the roads leading to Elim Primary School and Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd’s main shaft area.
The once-treacherous terrain is slowly being transformed into a smooth and safe passage.
The mine manager, Mr Neilson Stewart, said the company’s vision is ambitious – to transform Penhalonga into a thriving ‘sunshine city on the mountains.’
“As we implement our Community Social Responsibility programmes, our aim and vision is to transform this area into a sunshine city on the mountains. We do not want to leave this place as a ghost town when we eventually depart, but rather ensure that there are operational schools, clinics, good roads, functional agricultural activities, and ultimately make life easier for locals,” said Mr Stewart.
Minister of State for Manicaland Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza commended the investment for its positive impact on the provincial economy.
“In Manicaland, our people are working together as one unit. We are collaborating with our councils, investors, and all stakeholders. We recently completed the Tsambe Bridge, and we are now working on the road leading to Penhalonga, which was on the verge of collapsing.
“The repairs are underway, as we speak. This is a collective effort being spearheaded by Portfolio Mining (Pvt) Ltd, Government, and myself as the Member of the House of Assembly for Mutasa South Constituency. This is the way forward, and we are excited about such fruitful investment,” said Minister Mugadza.
Mining operations at Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd site initially began in the 1890s as Penhalonga Mine, later renamed Coldawn Mine, owned by Mr Harry Greaves.
However, in 2022, it was renamed Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd.
Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd has successfully engaged with the traditional leadership, local community, including working alongside artisanal miners.
Mr Stewart said: “We have made a conscious effort to build strong relationships with local traditional and civic leaders, driven by our vision and commitment as an investor. We have adopted Elim Primary School, providing support to ensure that local children receive a quality education.”
The mining company is also collaborating with artisanal miners in the area, offering assistance on safety matters.
“We recognise the importance of working together to create a safe and productive mining environment. We are assisting them especially on matters relating to safety,” said Mr Stewart.
In a separate interview, the company’s operations and human resources manager, Mr Tendai Mandonga, highlighted the company’s focus on local employment.
“When we started operations, we prioritised hiring locals. We began with 10 employees, but our workforce has since grown to 246, with 80 percent being locals,” he said, adding that the company only seeks external expertise when necessary, but all employees are Zimbabwean nationals.
Notably, 10 to 15 percent of the staff are women.
As Mining Portfolio (Pvt) Ltd works towards its long-term vision of establishing a 1 000-meter deep shaft, it aims to achieve a milling capacity of 250 tonnes of the yellow metal per day by the end of the year.
A 1 000-meter deep gold mining shaft is considered a deep mine, but not exceptionally rare. Many underground mines, particularly gold mines, operate at depths of 1 000 meters or more.
In Manicaland, Redwing Mine is currently the only mineral excavation project to had exceeded 1 000 meters in depth.
However, the country boasts several other notable mining projects, including Shamva, How Mine, Vubachikwe, Blanket, Golden Valley, and the base mineral extraction at Bindura Nickel Mine that have attained such depth.
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