First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has directed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Dr. Ushe Utete, to immediately clean up provincial mining offices and ensure they operate efficiently and free from corruption, following damning allegations of bribery and bureaucratic obstruction raised by the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF).
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at an environmental awareness engagement at Magaya Mining Site in Gadzema, Chegutu, the First Lady issued the directive after ZMF President Henrietta Rushwaya presented a catalogue of challenges facing artisanal and small-scale miners, including corrupt officials demanding bribes for processing mining certificates and other documents.
“Your coming here today to be with us is going to be a memorable day in the history of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector,” Rushwaya told the First Lady. “We encounter a number of challenges, and by asking for your presence among us today, the most significant challenge that your children are facing is that of mining land.”
Rushwaya detailed how some officers in the Ministry’s provincial offices demand bribes from miners to process certificates and other essential paperwork, creating barriers that prevent informal operators from formalising their operations. She also highlighted that numerous mining claims and concessions have lain idle since the 1990s, arguing that these should be reallocated to small-scale miners who are ready and willing to work them.
The ZMF President’s remarks echo long-standing grievances within the sector. A massive corruption scandal has recently rocked the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, with explosive allegations emerging of a sophisticated syndicate involving high-ranking provincial officials. Past scandals have included allegations of the double allocation of mining claims and bribes paid to officials, which have cost Zimbabwe billions in lost revenue. In one recent case, a mines official in Matabeleland South Province was sentenced to 18 months in prison for criminal abuse of office after unlawfully issuing a mining prospecting licence to his mother.
Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr. Polite Kambamura has previously declared “zero tolerance” for corruption, vowing decisive action to make the ministry the government’s best performer this year. “An inspector who accepts a bribe to overlook a cracked tailings wall or a compromised ventilation system has signed a death warrant,” the Minister warned recently.
The First Lady’s direct intervention signals heightened political attention on endemic corruption within the mining regulatory apparatus. Her order to Dr. Utete, who was appointed to the post in May 2026, places the permanent secretary under immediate pressure to demonstrate tangible reforms in provincial offices.
Idle Claims and the ‘Use It or Lose It’ Policy
Rushwaya’s call for the release of idle mining claims aligns with Zimbabwe’s “use-it-or-lose-it” policy, which allows the State to reclaim mining concessions that remain undeveloped for extended periods. The ZMF President has previously advocated for the implementation of this policy, noting that some large mining companies have been holding mining claims for many years for speculative purposes without any production taking place.
The government has indicated plans to reclaim all mining concessions that have been lying idle, with reports indicating that there are four platinum concessions that have not been exploited since the 1970s. Rushwaya has argued that operationalising the “use it or lose it” policy would assist in improving production targets.
The proposed Mines and Minerals Bill, gazetted in June 2025, seeks to address concerns about exclusive prospecting orders and introduce frameworks that enable small-scale and artisanal miners to be formally recognised and supported. However, the sector continues to face significant hurdles, including access to finance, equipment, and formal mining titles.
Sector at a Crossroads
The artisanal and small-scale mining sector now contributes over 75% of Zimbabwe’s gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery and sustains an estimated 1.5 million livelihoods. ZMF members contributed 36 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to Rushwaya. Yet roughly 85% of more than one million ASM operators remain unregistered, according to ZMF estimates.
The First Lady’s directive to clean up provincial offices comes as Zimbabwe seeks to maximise revenue from its mineral wealth amid currency volatility and economic challenges. With the sector now generating more than 45% of the country’s foreign currency inflows, addressing corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies has become an economic imperative.
Dr. Utete, who has pledged to place the Zimbabwe School of Mines at the heart of his duties and described the institution as a strategic pillar in achieving national mining sector targets, now faces the immediate task of restoring integrity to provincial offices. Whether his response to the First Lady’s directive will deliver meaningful change remains to be seen, but the political spotlight on ministry corruption has never been brighter.
