The Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) is targeting artisanal and small-scale miners for safety training as it seeks to extend professional mining standards beyond established mining operations, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
AMMZ President Gift Mapakame announced the initiative at the association’s 54th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting in Nyanga, identifying ASM training as one of the organisation’s key performance targets for the year.
“For this year, we’re also targeting to carry out training for artisanal and small-scale miners. These are some of the KPIs that we have,” Mapakame said.
The proposed initiative would bring the association’s mine management and safety expertise into a segment of the industry where the adoption of professional mining practices remains important to improving operational standards and reducing risks.
AMMZ’s interest in extending its safety mandate to ASM comes against the background of the association’s founding principles, which were shaped by the Kamandama mining disaster and the need to strengthen safety, health and environmental standards across the industry.
The association has maintained safety oversight among its membership through programmes that assess compliance with safety, health and environmental requirements, identify shortcomings and encourage corrective action.
“We’ve got a dedicated programme that looks into how our members are also practising good safety, health and environmental standards,” Mapakame said.
“And we also do checks and balances to ensure that the standards are being adhered to, identify gaps and help those gaps to be addressed.”
Extending such expertise to smaller mining operations would widen the reach of professional mine management practices in a sector that plays a significant role in Zimbabwe’s mineral production.
The ASM training target forms part of AMMZ’s special projects pillar under a strategic plan developed in April 2026, following an internal review involving the association’s Council of Elders.
The strategy is built around five pillars, supported by seven action plans and eight flagship programmes, with operational excellence, safe production and sustainability among its priorities.
At the conference, AMMZ also outlined plans to increase its membership from the current 120 to 170 by the end of 2027. The association has introduced an online membership application portal and is reviewing its constitution to accommodate a broader range of mining professionals.
