The country’s legal gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Printers and Refineries’ gold buying prices are unarguably becoming competitive in the market, however, it is failing to attract more artisanal miners on board due to different reasons hence FPR should up it’s game, mining experts have said.
Rudairo Dickson Mapuranga
Speaking to Inside Mining Zimbabwe, the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Polite Kambamura said that the gold buying firm is failing to create a mutual relationship with small scale and artisanal miners.
According to the Deputy Minister, the state-owned gold buying utility should find a way to make themselves visible to gold mining areas in order to save the miners’ time.
The minister also said that a nationwide presence is crucial to help the miner manage their money.
“It is crucial for Fidelity to be present to all the areas where mining is taking place in order to beat illegal buyers”
“In Makaha area in Mutoko, there is no gold buyer which means that the miner has to travel to Marondera to sale, which to some extent is not practical considering that some can only produce a gram,” said Hon Kambamura.
Supporting the same sentiment, former Zimbabwe Miners Federation Vice President, Engineer Chris Murove said that Fidelity should have a nationwide presence as this will positively impact on the miner’s cash flow management.
“Fidelity needs to have a nationwide presence as close to the miners as possible. This helps a miner’s cash flow management” said Engineer Murove.
Gold leakages in Zimbabwe have been so rampant and the police have been tirelessly working in conjunction with the Ministry of Mines, Fidelity and Zimbabwe Miners Federation to no avail.
Rumours have it that some oligarchs are involved in the smuggling of gold and these include the reserve bank bosses but nothing tangible has been put forward to prove that the reserve bank bosses are involved.