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“This serves to notify you that I have resigned as Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation chief executive officer effectively from the 17th of January 2013 to join the newly formed Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small Scale for Sustainable Mining Council as the president,” he said.
He said artisanal and small-scale mining was largely a poverty-driven activity and may be the only recourse of people in a struggling economy.
Mr Takavarasha said their theme was “Artisanal and Small Scale Mining in Zimbabwe-Identifying Best Practices and Building Sustainable Livelihood Communities”.
He said artisanal small-scale mining directly employed about 500 000 people in Zimbabwe on a full time, seasonal or occasional basis.
“The income the miners generate provides the livelihood. Artisanal small-scale mining activities are of least importance as large scale mining activities.
“The economic impact on a wider, trading, community and national economy may be profound and in some cases a significant proportion of national mining production coming from artisanal small-scale mining source.
“For example, in 2004, 60 percent of the 29 tonnes produced came from the artisanal small-scale miners”.
Mr Takavarasha said despite the actual potential and economic value of the livelihood, miners in the sector were among the poorest and most marginalised members of society.
He said the miners were often given derogatory terms like makorokoza and their activities criminalised with gold from the miners declared illegal and illicitly traded on the black market depriving Government of millions of revenue.
“Whether or not the sector is a net contributor to sustainable development, the fact remains that artisanal small-scale miners’ activities will continue for as long as poverty makes them necessary.
“It is, therefore, essential to maximise the benefits brought by artisanal small-scale miners and harness the minerals produced to mitigate the costs,” he said.
He said it was difficult to get accurate information on exact artisanal small-scale mining given that in Zimbabwe it is informal or illegal in nature.
“The Government has a pivotal role to play in defining policy and legal framework, incentives and process which determine that artisanal small-scale mining is carried out in the mainstream economy.
“ZASMC is a key intervention of strengthening the industry’s position therefore strongly lobbying for the regularisation and formalisation, investment and capitalisation of the artisanal small-scale mining sector and the significant negative impacts on environment mitigated.
“This will be one of the solutions of an envisaged scenario of sustainable mining in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Online Reporter