The Sunday News
Chrispen Gumunyu, Business Reporter
THE role small-scale miners are playing in contributing to the country’s target of achieving the US$12 billion mining industry in the next three years is set to come under the spotlight when the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) holds its Annual General Meeting in Gweru this week.
The AGM, that will run on Wednesday and Thursday will be addressed by President Mnangagwa. It will be held under the theme: “Revolutionising the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector through Formalisation.” Over the past years, small-scale miners have been contributing about 60 percent of all gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refiners.
The sector also has a heavy presence in the chrome sector. In an interview, ZMF spokesperson Mr Dosman Mangisi urged all key stakeholders in the artisanal and small-scale mining industry to attend the conference as the Government has recognised their efforts in the country’s mining industry.
“We urge all key stakeholders in the mining industry to make sure they attend this conference because it is a great event for mining in Zimbabwe. The core of this event is designed to strategically gather artisanal, small-scale miners, large-scale miners and key stakeholders to meet and connect with investors, service providers and policymakers and align the artisanal and small-scale miners in the mainstream economy in a most sustainable and rationale manner. This will be a great opportunity for artisanal and small-scale miners to engage President Mnangagwa. As a key arm of the economy this means that the President is recognising their efforts,” said Mr Mangisi.
He said investors from Africa as well as Asia will be present at the mining indaba and have already shown keen interest in the local mining sector.
“We have a large number of investors who are very keen and most of them have already come on board. Most of the investors from China and South Africa want to come up with service centres throughout the country and they have confirmed that they will attend the conference,” said Mr Mangisi.
ZMF chief executive officer Mr Wellington Takavarasha said they have scheduled a plenary session for the first day and presentations the following day.
“We have come up with a strategy to have thematic sessions on the first day so that presentations to President Mnangagwa on the second day will come from issues that would have been raised by the artisanal and small-scale miners in the thematic sessions such as gold session, chrome session, women in mining session, legislative and policy issues session,” said Mr Takavarasha.
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