The Sunday News
Nkosilathi Sibanda, Business Correspondent
THE Government is committed to formalising operations of artisanal and small-scale miners as it moves to enable them to contribute effectively to the mining sector.
A majority of the miners are not formalised making it difficult for authorities to quantify how much the sector adds to the economy and also disturbing Government’s efforts to render support to the miners. However, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has noted the immense value that artisanal and small-scale miners add to the economy and is making headway in formalising the sector.
Data obtained from the Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) stated that there were 1,5 million small-scale miners across the country but only 30 000 were registered. In an interview, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Engineer Polite Kambamura said Government was well aware of the need to formalise small-scale mining.
“The formalisation of artisanal miners is still work in progress. More is still to be done in the artisanal mining sector in terms of formalisation and capacitation,” he said.
The formalisation of artisanal miners was seen as a way to improve production and their contribution to the economy. The issue has been on the cards for years and great concern has been raised especially on gold panning where unregistered mining activities account for huge mineral leakages. The industry also noted that registration would improve accountability and transparency in the sector.
The Deputy Minister said although formalisation was yet to be completed, Government will also extend support to small-scale miners, following the release of a $1 billion mining sector stimulus fund.
“His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa availed a stimulus package of $1 billion for the mining sector and definitely small-scale miners will have their piece of the cake,” he said.
ZMF chief executive officer Mr Wellington Takavarasha said they were working with Fidelity Printers and Refiners on an awareness outreach programme for all unregistered small-scale miners, to inform them on the benefits.
“Small-scale and artisanal miners have to be formalised and get to be actively involved in the mainstream economy. Currently Fidelity Printers and Refiners is reaching out to small-scale miners in a bid to make them understand the importance of formalising their operations. The aim is to rope in the miners into the mainstream industry, bearing that Government has realised the significant contribution brought about by small-scale miners to the mining sector and the economy.”
He said already a roadmap, guided by the minerals policy framework on how small-scale miners will operate is with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.
“The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is seized with the matter. A policy framework that has workable outcomes for both miners and Government is in place. We are satisfied with what the Government is doing in calling for the formalisation of small-scale miners. Miners have to be issued with a permit and a policy that is palatable with their operations on the ground has to be in place.”
Mr Takavarasha said they were in the process of identifying hotspot areas where unregistered small-scale miners were in their numbers. He said with the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale miners taking shape, it would make it easy for the mining industry to do business with ease.
“This will go a long way in formalising those miners in hotspot areas. Presently 30 000 small-scale miners are registered against an estimated 1,5 million doing business around the country. This means about 84 percent of our miners have to be formalised. All the miners have to be recognised properly through formalisation and that is what we are working on with the ministry,” he said.
