Formalisation of mining operations key for sector growth

Judith Phiri, Business Reporter

THE Young Miners Foundation (YMF) has expressed optimism over mining prospects this year as they work towards increased formalisation and professionalisation of young miners, a development that is expected to contribute to the attainment of the US$12 billion mining industry.

The mining industry is one of the country’s economic cornerstones with the sector presently contributing about 70 percent of the country’s foreign currency earnings. In an interview, YMF chief executive officer (CEO) Mr Payne Kupfuwa said their aim was to create more formal jobs and business opportunities in the mining value chain for the youths.

“As YMF we have set our theme for 2023 as, ‘Grow and stabilise: Towards a Sustainable Mining Economy.’ One of the key deliverables under this these is increased formalisation and professionalisation of young miners to create more formal jobs and business opportunities in the mining value chain for the youths. We urge all young miners to have established and formalised operations be it in gold, chrome, lithium and any other minerals, while also considering the value chain opportunities in the mining industry,” said Mr Kupfuwa.

He said some of the opportunities that were available for youths in the mining sector included mining geology, gemology, metallurgical assayer, environmentalism as well as value chain opportunities such as lapidary among others.
Mr Kupfuwa said formalisation of youth miners, was a critical development that would see them positively contributing to the attainment of the US$12 billion mining industry by year end.

In 2019, President Mnangagwa launched the US$12 billion mining industry roadmap where gold is expected to contribute US$4 billion, platinum US$3 billion while chrome, iron, steel, diamonds and coal will contribute US$1 billion each. Lithium is expected to contribute US$500 million while other minerals contribute US$1,5 billion.
YMF member, Ms Hlengiwe Mpofu who has mining operations in Plumtree and Kezi said there was need for young miners to acquire more knowledge on how to run a successful mining venture.

“Most of the younger miners who are artisanal and small-scale miners are into illegal mining and are losing a lot of money in the process. It is therefore critical for them to receive training so that they can be able to regularise their operations. As YMF our goal is to see youths taking mining as a business and eventually grow their small-scale operation to medium scale,” said Ms Mpofu.

She said young miners especially women need assistance be it financially or in terms of machinery and equipment for their operations to grow as they increase their production. In a recent interview, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development chairman Mr Edmond Mukaratigwa said the effects of informal mining from a government perspective saw informal miners being difficult to regulate.

He said there was a need to turn informal mining into a formal practice for it to benefit more from mainstream market and government initiatives. In terms of key initiatives, Mr Mukaratigwa said Government interventions for exploration could also aid the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale miners.