Chitando hails ZMF transformation
Mines and Mining Development Minister Hon Winston Chitando has hailed the ZMF for taking a more formalised business approach.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Stakeholders meeting held in Harare the Minister said commendably that the Federation was taking professional business direction.
The Minister said he recalls the Federation, as recent as two years back, had no operating offices making it difficult for the biggest mining body in the country to be taken seriously.
“The ZMF has drastically improved and I am impressed with the business approach the Federation is taking. Not to offend anyone but it was difficult to take them seriously because as recently as two years ago the organization didn’t have any operating offices. We did not know where to find them,” said Chitando.
Chitando said as important players in the mining sector it is imperative that the ZMF matches mining organisations like the Chamber of Mines’ way of doing business as the two organisations are crucial players in achieving a 12 billion mining industry by 2023.
“We do have two representatives of players in the mining sector, the Chamber of Mines and Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF). The Chamber of Mines representing largely the medium to large scale mines and the ZMF representing the small scale and artisanal miners. ZMF and the Chamber of Mines are very important in the achievement of the 12 billion dollar goal. What is important, and what makes me feel very happy is that the ZMF formed a strategic line of interest that has been formalised is being capacitated to represent the interests of its membership,” Chitando said.
ZMF is on a concerted effort to improve its way of doing business. It recently amended key reforms to its constitution, partnered with over 25 mining equipment and services providers, launched a website and is currently pushing for timely issuance of Mining titles in a quest to have a more formalised ASM industry to support President Mnangagwa’s 23 billion mining industry by 2023 vision.
Its President Ms. Henrietta Rushwaya on Tuesday donated compressors to various women associations emphasizing that the main hurdle in the Artisanal Small-scale Mining (ASM) sector is the lack of mechanization. The compressors were donated to associations which include Mberengwa Miners Trust, Guinea Fowl Mines Trust, Great Zimbabwe Miners Trust among others.