• Peggers Say It Breaches Secrecy and Is Costly to Miners
Certified Registered Approved Prospectors (CRAP holders), widely known as peggers, together with some miners across Zimbabwe, have petitioned the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development over a General Notice requiring all mining title holders to submit survey-grade coordinates for their claims. The petitioners describe the directive as illegal, disruptive, and costly, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The petition, addressed to the Ministry’s Secretary and copied to Minister Winston Chitando and Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Chair R. Matangira, targets General Notices issued by Provincial Mining Directors (PMDs) and the Permanent Secretary, which took effect from 1st July 2025. The notices mandate that only registered mine surveyors using survey-grade instruments, including Total Stations, GNSS base rover systems, and Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS setups, are authorised to provide coordinate data for all mining titles.
While the Ministry frames the move as a step to professionalise the mining sector, peggers and miners argue that the General Notice undermines established staking practices and breaches the secrecy essential for claim registration.
Accuracy vs. Secrecy
Zimbabwe’s mining law allows miners to register claims discreetly, with only the pegger and the discoverer aware of a deposit until officially claimed. The petitioners argue that the General Notice, by requiring surveyors at the point of staking, compromises this secrecy, making claim locations public and increasing the risk of simultaneous claims and disputes.
“For years, handheld GPS devices have been used to stake claims. While survey grade accuracy is important, introducing surveyors at the time of claim registration disrupts the process and threatens miners’ exclusive rights,” the petition states.
The Ministry’s Position
The General Notice mandates survey-grade coordinates for all mining claims to eliminate disputes and ensure data accuracy. Permanent Secretary Pfungwa Kunaka emphasised that handheld GPS devices, which can have 5 to 10 metre errors, have been a major source of boundary disputes and overlapping claims.
“Only registered mine surveyors using survey-grade instruments can provide the precision required to secure mineral rights and prepare for the upcoming Mining Cadastre System,” Mr. Kunaka said.
Supporters argue the General Notice protects miners, especially small-scale operators, from encroachment and legal battles, and lays the foundation for a modern, digitalised mining cadastre.
Cost and Legal Concerns
Despite these benefits, peggers and miners say the General Notice is costly and legally questionable. They list several unintended outcomes:
- Peggers are being denied the right to legally work and earn a living.
- Citizens’ constitutional right to mine is being restricted.
- Existing miners are being saddled with the cost of resurveying claims to meet survey grade standards.
The petitioners also highlight that the General Notice was not gazetted, as required under Section 403 of the Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05], and therefore cannot legally suspend the Act. The notice also introduces redundancies, undermining existing regulations under S.I. 109 of 1990 on mine surveying and plan preparation.
The petitioners are not opposed to survey grade accuracy or professionalisation, but they urge the Ministry to phase in the General Notice in a non-disruptive manner that respects existing pegging practices and claim confidentiality. They request immediate repeal of the sections of the notice that impose undue hardship, alongside a collaborative approach to digitalisation.
