Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Zimpapers Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has launched a massive gold formalisation project at Ball Mine in Chitsungo, Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe (UMP) District, which is expected to employ 1 000 miners by May and eliminate mineral leakages in Mashonaland East.
Through its special purpose vehicle, FS Mining, the federation signed a tribute agreement with Anhua Chenxi, the current operator at Ball Mine.
The partnership will manage 11 mining blocks covering 430 hectares, a move aimed at bringing stability to the resource-rich area and ensuring that gold is sold through official channels
Speaking during a site visit recently, ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said the initiative was a blueprint for small-scale mining growth.
“We are very proud to embark on an exercise which will benefit locals, and this is a case study that we are doing as ZMF, which we intend to carry out throughout the whole country,” she said.
“We have made applications to the Government in reserved areas where we are saying we need to put our miners under one roof, where they do mining, milling, processing, and the selling of the commodity in one place. This will avoid issues of leakages.”
To curb illegal trade, Ms Rushwaya confirmed that a Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) office and a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) post would be established on-site.
Due to the mine’s proximity to the Mozambique border—a geography historically exploited by smugglers—the ZMF is prioritising security and transparency.
Ms Rushwaya said the project would also prioritise women empowerment through the provision of mining apparel, catering, and other light industrial services.
On the progress of operations, she said site preparations were already underway.
“Purchasing of the equipment has already started, and the first batch is expected to arrive on site by March 15.
“Trial operations will take place from March 20 to 21, with full capacity operations expected by late June or early July,” she said.
These efforts align with the Federation’s broader goal of delivering 45 tonnes of gold to the state refinery this year, leveraging a nationwide ‘cluster mining’ model to mechanise artisanal operations.
The 1,000 small-scale miners will also gain access to modern technology, and to ensure transparency, the ZMF is collaborating with law enforcement to vet the registration list and exclude any individuals with criminal records from the programme.
Despite recent heavy rains hindering movement, registration of workers is ongoing.
“As we speak, we are sitting on plus or minus 400 registered miners, and we are expecting the number to go up to 1 000 by May,” Ms Rushwaya added.
The ZMF has started drilling boreholes at local public institutions and plans to launch anti-drug campaigns to keep young people focused on nation-building.”
She also urged all miners in the district to utilise the on-site Fidelity collection point to ensure the country realises its full gold production potential.
