Over 30 women’s mining syndicates in Makaha remain idle despite allocated mining blocks, prompting urgent calls for government technical support to empower women miners in Zimbabwe.
More than 30 women’s mining syndicates in Makaha, Mashonaland East, remain non-productive despite being allocated mining blocks, Senator Appolinia Munzverengwi has revealed, issuing an urgent appeal for government technical assistance, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at a high-level event hosted by the Zimbabwe Women in Mining Association (ZAWIMA) on “The Role of Women in Responsible Sourcing: Strengthening Support Mechanisms for Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Zimbabwe and Beyond,” the senator expressed both gratitude for the land allocations and frustration at the lack of progress in transforming those allocations into actual production.
“You know, as a woman and as a senator in Mashonaland East, we do have a number of women that were allocated mines in Makaha as syndicates,” Senator Munzverengwi said. “And we are looking forward to the ministry coming up with some assistance so that we can realise what is underground.”
The women of Makaha received their mining blocks through a land allocation programme championed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Second Republic, part of a broader drive to ensure local communities benefit from mineral resources found in their areas. But allocation alone, the senator stressed, is insufficient.
“The women in Makaha are not yet producing. They are not yet producing,” she emphasised. “We want to thank His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa. We got land in Makaha, and we have more than 30 women’s syndicates who were allocated blocks in Makaha.”
However, the gap between owning a claim and successfully mining it remains vast.
“But we are looking forward to the ministry coming to assist us because these are women in the countryside. They don’t even have the knowledge, but they want to mine. So they need to be assisted.”
Senator Munzverengwi’s concerns echo findings from recent research on women in Zimbabwe’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector. A 2025 study published in the University of Nairobi’s Journal of the African Women Studies Centre found that while progress has been made in women’s access to funding and credit, “persistent barriers remain, especially regarding access to information, training, and leadership roles.”
The study, which interviewed female small-scale miners from all ten provinces of Zimbabwe, noted that “most participants reported violations of their rights, limited access to basic services, and a lack of agency in production activities.”
Industry leaders have also highlighted the specific challenges women face. Silingiwe Masuku, national chairperson of the Zimbabwe Indigenous Miners Association (ZIMA), recently said that “technical training and capacity building are essential. Programmes that equip women with geological knowledge, mining management skills, and regulatory understanding will empower them to run sustainable mining operations.”
Senator Munzverengwi positioned the Makaha women’s potential contribution within the broader context of Zimbabwe’s mining success story.
“You know there’s a lot of gold now from the small-scale miners. We want to thank the leadership of ZMF. They are pushing for production, to increase the production,” she said.
Artisanal and small-scale miners now supply over 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s gold output, a transformation driven largely by the Zimbabwe Miners Federation’s efforts to formalise and capacitate the sector.
“And we also want to contribute as women to what is happening already on the ground, on the volumes that are being produced,” the senator added, signalling that women miners are ready to claim their share of national production statistics.
The Makaha women’s situation stands in stark contrast to successful interventions elsewhere in the country. In Shurugwi District, a government-private sector partnership established a chrome mining project that now benefits over 300 women and youths from the Zvumwa area.
That initiative, launched by the government in collaboration with private sector partners, has transformed the economic prospects of an entire community, with women now running successful mining ventures and contributing meaningfully to local economic development.
Shurugwi North legislator Honourable Joseph Mupasi hailed the project as proof that “President Mnangagwa is walking the talk on leaving no one and no place behind.”
The Makaha syndicates need similar support to move from allocation to production.
The Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small-Scale Women Miners Association (ZASWMA) has already developed programmes that could serve as models for the Makaha women. Starting in January 2026, the association rolled out initiatives including financial literacy training, mine planning and budgeting workshops, taxation and compliance sessions, and mental health and well-being programmes.
“Formalisation is the way to go,” ZASWMA states, noting that it provides access to government support and incentives, increases market reach and profits, enhances reputation and credibility, and contributes to sustainable mining practices.
The Women Empowerment in Mining Zimbabwe (WEMZ) organisation has also emphasised the importance of structured support, with founder Chiedza Chipangura committing to “mentor, support, and empower women at every level of the mining value chain, breaking barriers, claiming leadership, and shaping the future of Zimbabwe’s mining sector.”
Earlier at the ZAWIMA-hosted event, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon. Eng. Fred Moyo announced the government’s plan to establish mining offices in every district, a decentralisation drive aimed at bringing technical expertise closer to women miners.
“If we have officers in districts, we will be able to reduce disputes. The officer will be responsible for tracking mining claims in their districts,” Hon. Eng. Moyo said, signalling that the government is aware of the challenges women face and is moving to address them.
He also called on women’s mining associations to provide accurate data on their membership and production.
“As a government, we also want to know how many women are involved in mining, so associations should give us the numbers so we know. Formalise yourselves. We also want to know how much gold is coming from women. We need to walk together.”
Senator Munzverengwi’s call for ministry assistance aligns with recommendations from multiple stakeholders in the mining sector. The 2025 academic study on women’s economic empowerment through small-scale mining made specific recommendations including that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development “review and revise existing regulations to tackle the specific hurdles women miners face” and that the Zimbabwe School of Mines “provide training programmes tailored to the needs of women miners.”
The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, following a September 2025 workshop in Harare convened with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the SADC Women in Mining Association, and ZASWMA, highlighted the need for “inclusive regional approaches to ASM formalisation and gender equality” and specifically addressed “women’s health and safety challenges in ASM.”
For the 30 women’s syndicates in Makaha, the allocation of mining blocks represents promise without delivery, land without knowledge, claims without production. Senator Munzverengwi’s plea to the ministry, delivered at the ZAWIMA event, is straightforward: provide the technical assistance needed to transform dormant allocations into active, productive mines.
“They need to be assisted,” she said simply.
The women of Makaha have the land. They have the will. What they lack is the knowledge, the technical expertise, and the structured support that could turn their blocks into the next success story in Zimbabwe’s small-scale mining sector.
As one miner in Shurugwi put it: “The President is walking the talk on his declaration that communities should benefit from natural resources that are found in their localities, and we are happy that as women we are partaking in this economic activity.”
The women of Makaha want nothing less.
