A qualified Mining Engineer mandatory for all mines including ASM – Minister
A qualified Mining Engineer is mandatory for all mines including the Small-scale mining industry, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Zhemu Soda has said.
Speaking at the send-off of the 2023 Fourth Gold Mobilization Sent-off Workshop Soda said Zimbabwe’s Mines and Mineral Act, a core legislative framework governing the mining industry, has long emphasized that a qualified Mine Engineer is supposed to be employed as a Mine Manager to ensure safe mining practices at all gold mining operations.
This necessary position ensures adherence to robust safety protocols and the implementation of best mining practices.
However, recent findings by the Gold Mobilisation Task Force have revealed a lapse in compliance, as many small-scale miners are operating without essential specialized skills mandated by the Act.
A significant number of mines, known as AGSM (Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining), lack the technical expertise necessary to engage in safe mining methods independently, Minister Soda told delegates at the send-off of the Gold Mobilisation Task Force.
“One of the requirements of the Mines and Mineral Act is that mines should employ a Mine Manager who is a qualified Engineer. Most of the AGSM do not have the technical skills to engage in safe mining methods hence they need to source the skills of the Mine Manager, Geologist, Surveyor and a Metallurgist. Most of the mines are operating without these critical specialised skills,” Minister Zhemu Soda said.
Whilst the absence of qualified individuals directly affects the developmental potential of these mines getting a qualified Mining Engineer to head a small-scale mining establishment as a Mine Manager may not be an easy task for low producing mines.
The salary of a Mining Engineer typically ranges from us$7000 +or- us$20 000 a month. This is likely out of reach for majority of small-scale mines. Admittedly, the lack of these professionals poses a direct threat to the overall competitiveness and sustainability of the mining sector, however, fully qualified Mining Engineers usually shun small-scale mines mainly because of safety concerns and way lower remuneration and benefits.
Counterparts in the large-scale miners are well remunerated and have perks that are unlikely to be afforded by small-scale establishments.