The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has thrown its full weight behind Mines and Mining Development Minister Hon. Polite Kambamura’s landmark decision to immediately ban foreigners and foreign-owned entities from participating in the country’s small-scale gold mining sector, a policy shift that the federation describes as a long-overdue victory for citizen empowerment and economic justice, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The new policy, announced by Minister Kambamura with immediate effect, reserves the small-scale gold mining sector exclusively for Zimbabwean citizens and wholly Zimbabwean-owned entities, while providing a transitional period for existing foreign operators until 1 January 2027 to either scale up into the large-scale category or exit entirely. Any non-compliant mining title will be liable to cancellation or other regulatory action. Under the new framework, small- and medium-scale gold mining operations are classified as projects producing up to 20 kilograms of gold per month and/or involving capital investment of up to US$15 million.
For the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, the representative body of the country’s artisanal and small-scale miners, the announcement represents the culmination of years of relentless advocacy.
A long-standing call finally answered
Long before Minister Kambamura’s decisive action, the ZMF had been at the forefront of the campaign to protect the small-scale mining space for indigenous Zimbabweans.
At the ZMF Strategic Meeting in 2025, ZMF President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya delivered an impassioned plea that presaged the government’s current position. She stated that foreign investors operating on claims of less than 50 hectares should no longer be tolerated in the sector.
“If an investor’s claim is less than 50 hectares, they cannot call themselves an investor. They must pack their bags and go,” Ms Rushwaya declared at the time. “This is our country, and we will not tolerate foreigners fighting with us over small pieces of land.”
The federation’s push had been consistent. For years, the ZMF argued that small-scale mining should be reserved for locals, with foreigners barred from operating on land of 50 hectares or less. They also requested that small-scale miners be given priority in pegging claims before they are opened to foreign investors. This request was formally presented to the government at Mine Entra 2024, where then-Minister Winston Chitando confirmed that the forthcoming Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill would officially recognise and protect the small-scale mining sector for local miners. Speaking at the event, Minister Chitando acknowledged that there was currently no legal framework reserving small-scale mining for the local sector, a gap the amendment bill was intended to fill.
Minister Kambamura’s immediate ban therefore comes as a direct response to these long-standing concerns, addressing issues of environmental degradation, weak regulatory compliance, and recurring conflicts involving local miners, farming communities, and surrounding residents.
ZMF President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya has been the unrelenting voice of the small-scale miner, consistently championing the cause of local empowerment. Her leadership extends beyond advocacy, however, as she has been instrumental in transforming the federation into a strategic partner for national development.
In January 2026, addressing the ZMF strategic meeting, Ms Rushwaya outlined a comprehensive blueprint designed to formalise and empower the nation’s artisanal miners, declaring that the federation’s core mission is to transition miners “from informal survival to professional, profitable and safe businesses.”
Under her stewardship, the small-scale mining sector has flourished. In 2025, the country delivered 46.7 tonnes of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery, with artisanal and small-scale miners contributing 34.9 tonnes, approximately 75 percent of total output. Ms Rushwaya has set an ambitious target of 45 tonnes from small-scale miners alone in 2026.
In a recent statement, Ms Rushwaya expressed gratitude for the government’s decisive action. While specific comments on the ban are still forthcoming, her previous advocacy and her ongoing engagement with government on regulatory matters leave little doubt about her support. She has previously emphasised that “the law should apply equally to all” and called for stricter regulations to ensure foreign investors follow ethical practices and benefit the local economy.
Beyond the ban, Ms Rushwaya continues to drive the formalisation agenda through initiatives such as the ZMF–FGR Gold Card, a digital registration system designed to improve traceability of gold from mine to refinery in line with global responsible sourcing standards.
Chizuzu welcomes policy from the ground
In Mashonaland West Province, a key gold-producing region, the new policy has been met with particular enthusiasm. ZMF Mashonaland West Provincial Chairperson Mr Timothy Chizuzu has been a consistent advocate for the empowerment of local miners and has praised the sector’s resilience and potential.
Mr Chizuzu has previously noted that small-scale miners in Kadoma have proven that they can sustain the economy of Zimbabwe, with some operations mining over 50 tonnes of gold ore per day. He has called for the proper structuring, monitoring, and regulation of small-scale mining, stating that it has proven to have the potential to emancipate many people from poverty.
A Master of Science degree holder in Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sustainability from Bindura University of Science Education, Mr Chizuzu brings technical expertise to the federation’s leadership. He has also been active in championing responsible mining practices, environmental compliance, and community safety, having been involved in coordinating responses to mining accidents in the province.
Welcoming Minister Kambamura’s announcement, Mr Chizuzu described the ban as a game-changer for grassroots miners. He emphasised that the new policy will eliminate unfair competition from foreign actors who have historically used their financial muscle to displace local miners. He noted that the provision requiring verification of citizenship and beneficial ownership as part of the re-registration process will finally close the loopholes that allowed proxy ownership structures to circumvent the law.
Mr Chizuzu has also called on small-scale miners in Mashonaland West to take advantage of the transitional period to regularise their operations, ensuring compliance with environmental, tax, labour, and mineral marketing laws, and to prepare for verification of production levels and capital investment thresholds.
ZMF acting Treasurer Mr Prosper Shumba has emerged as the federation’s architect of financial modernisation and strategic infrastructure development.
Speaking at the ZMF 2026 Strategic Meeting, Mr Shumba announced a dual initiative aimed at reinforcing accountability and boosting production. The federation will introduce mandatory independent financial audits and establish strategic cluster processing plants along the country’s mining borders.
To cement this commitment, Mr Shumba declared that the ZMF will now publish annual budgeted financial statements audited by a firm registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ), marking a definitive shift in the federation’s operations. “We are committed to a new standard of governance,” he stated, emphasising that this move ensures the highest level of integrity and accountability to members and the public.
Concurrently, the federation unveiled a major industrial strategy: the creation of cluster mining central processing plants in every province to provide miners access to modern equipment, coordinated ore processing, and improved financing opportunities. “We are going to come up with cluster mining and processing plants that we will put in every province,” Mr Shumba said. “This will capacitate artisanal miners to fund their activities, process their ore efficiently, and deliver gold directly to the formal market.”
Mr Shumba also proposed the innovative concept of a Miner’s Bank, an institution that would depart from traditional collateral-based lending, instead using mineral assets as the basis for funding projects. “This bank will only take minerals, not dollars,” he said, arguing that this model would finally provide miners with capital matched to their project’s potential.
These strategic initiatives complement Minister Kambamura’s ban by creating an enabling environment for compliant local miners to thrive, with formalised infrastructure and access to capital.
A unified front for citizen empowerment
The convergence of government policy and federation advocacy represents a historic moment for Zimbabwe’s small-scale mining sector. Minister Kambamura’s ban, supported by the ZMF’s leadership, establishes a clear and enforceable framework that prioritises citizen participation while maintaining space for large-scale foreign investment in higher-capital projects.
The re-registration process, which includes verification of citizenship and beneficial ownership, disclosure of corporate and financing structures, confirmation of compliance with environmental and other laws, and verification of production levels, will ensure that only genuine Zimbabwean operators remain in the sector.
