Rescue operations at Metallon Gold-owned Redwing Mine in Penhalonga are bearing fruits with the rescue team optimistic that all 15 trapped miners will be rescued alive, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Zhemu Soda has said.
According to Minister Soda a few trapped miners have been evacuated with the hope that by the end of the day, all miners will have been rescued alive.
“We want to thank that people who were trapped at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga have started coming out showing that rescue efforts are bearing fruits. We have asked some who were rescued and they said they were 15 in total and all will be rescued alive,” Minister Soda said.
Government has activated Civil Protection structures to initiate search and rescue operations at Redwing Mine following a mine collapse that trapped eleven miners underground.
In a Press release, acting Minister of Local Government and Public Works, July Moyo said government assures the nation and anxious families of the miners, in particular that search and rescue operations will continue into the coming days.
He said the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is leading a team of experts, including from Metallon Gold and Freda Rebecca Gold Mine to retreave the miners from underground.
Here is the press release in full:-
Statement ON REDWING MINE ACCIDENT, HARARE- MUTARE HIGHWAY, by the ACTING MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, Honourable J.G MOYO (MP) ON 5 JANUARY 2024
I received the sad news of a mine accident that occurred between 0500-0600 hours on Thursday, 4th January 2024 which resulted in eleven (11) people being trapped, about 20 metres, underground at Redwing Mine (owned by Metallon Gold) in Penhalonga.
In responding to this unfortunate accident, Government has immediately activated Civil Protection structures to deal with the critical matter of search and rescue at the mine. The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is leading a team of experts, including from Metallon Gold and Freda Rebecca Gold Mine of Bindura.
Government would like to assure the nation and anxious families of the miners, in particular that search and rescue operations will continue into the coming days. In the meantime, Government will render support to these families during this difficult time. For the avoidance of doubt and contrary to some unsubstantiated reports circulating on social media platforms, the trapped miners are employees of Metallon Gold.
As the rescue efforts are underway, the Honourable Minister of Mines and Mining Development has since directed Metallon Gold to suspend operations at the mine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we call upon all miners to heed His Excellency, the President, Cde Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa’s call for responsible mining in order to lessen the occurrence of such accidents and loss of precious life.
Hon J.G. Moyo
Acting Minister of Local Government and Public Works
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Zhemu Soda has reportedly ordered the suspension of mining operations at Metalon owned Redwing Mine in Penhalonga following an mine collapse that is feared to have claimed 11 lives.
According to sources, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development wants to see operations suspended until a full report is released about the operations at the mine and how normal operations can be restored.
On Thursday, Minister Soda said Metallon has been tributing mining areas at Redwing to different companies and individuals.
He, however, said that Metallon has indicated that it has sufficient capacity to carry out the rescue mission.
SG 90% AND ABOVE US$61.96/g
SG ABOVE 85% BUT BELOW 90% US$61.31g
SG ABOVE 80% BUT BELOW 85% US$60.65/g
SG ABOVE 75% BUT BELOW 80% US$59.99/g
SAMPLE BELOW 10g BUT ABOVE 5g US$59.01/g
Fire Assay CASH $62.29/g
NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100gs, no sample is deducted.
For the Fire Assay Transfer price, a sample of not more than 10g is deducted
A 2% royalty is charged on all deposits (small-scale miners)
A 5% royalty is set for Primary Producers
Cash available. Fidelity Gold Refinery prices will be changing daily to match world market prices.
Metallon Corporation, a prominent gold mining company in Zimbabwe, has expressed deep regret and concern following an accident that occurred on its claims at Redwing Mine in Mutare.
In an official statement released yesterday, the company said as soon as the accident was reported, the mine’s dedicated rescue team promptly mobilized and initiated rescue operations. The company established that 11 artisanal Miners were trapped underground.
“Metallon Corporation regrets to advise of an accident involving artisanal miners working in small-scale mining pits in claims around Redwing Mine. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 4 January 2024. The mine’s rescue team was mobilised and immediately commenced rescue operations. Early assessments are that 11 miners are trapped,” the company said in a press release.
However, due to unstable ground conditions, several rescue attempts were unsuccessful. Metallon said it is diligently evaluating the state of the ground to ensure the safety of the rescue operation before proceeding.
“The team has made several rescue attempts. However, the ground remains unstable, rendering rescue operations unsafe. Our teams are diligently assessing ground conditions to make sure that rescue operations proceed safely as soon as possible. Initial assessments indicate earth tremors as a possible cause of the incident,” the statement read in part.
While investigations are still ongoing, preliminary assessments suggested that earth tremors may have played a role in the incident. Redwing Mine has a history of operating as a large-scale mine, employing main shafts, but after it was placed under corporate rescue in 2020, artisanal mining was introduced on a broader scale. It is within one of these artisanal mining pits that this accident occurred.
“Redwing Mine has historically operated as a large-scale mine, utilising main shafts. When the mine was placed under corporate rescue in 2020, artisanal mining was introduced on a wide scale. This incident occurred in one of the artisanal mining pits,” the company continued.
Metallon Corporation assured that it is actively collaborating with the authorities to address the situation and provide assistance were needed. The gold miner pledged to share further updates and information as they become available.
The government has asserted that the accident that is suspected of trapping 11 people at Metallon Gold’s Redwing Mine in Penhalonga on Thursday was caused by a possible mining of support pillars commonly known as pillar robbing.
WATCH Minister speak about the Metallon Gold Mine Accident: https://fb.watch/pmIaHWHYxX/
Rudairo Mapuranga
Address journalists at a Press Conference held at 18:00hrs, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Zhemu Soda, said Metallon has been tributing mining areas at Redwing to different companies and individuals and people trapped were workers of the tribute.
He, however said that Metallon has indicated that it has sufficient capacity to carry out the rescue mission.
The Minister said rescue teams have for now suspended operations after noticing that the ground was still curving in.
“The ground is still curving in. It appears like the miners had mined out support pillars.
“I have established that Metallon Gold Redwing has been tributing mining areas at Redwing even to individuals. The Shaft that collapsed was under some individuals and people trapped were workers of the tribute. Management of tributed areas falls under principal owner, Metallon Gold in this case.
“Therefore, the Rescue team from Metallon has been leading in the rescue effort supported by Ministry of Mines and other stakeholders including ZRP and Civil Protection,” Minister Soda said.
About the accident
The accident happened between 0500-0600 am on Thursday 04 January 2024.
11 people are suspected to be trapped underground about 20m below surface.
Cause of the collapse of the mine Shaft is suspected to be an earth tremor whose source is yet to be ascertained.
Rescue teams went underground around 0900 hrs attempting to rescue and had to retreat after noticing the ground still curving.
The team tried again around 1200hrs and noticed that the ground had collapsed more.
Of concern is the fact that the ground at this place is visibly cracking and subsiding and therefore unsafe.
SG 90% AND ABOVE US$62.04/g
SG ABOVE 85% BUT BELOW 90% US$61.38g
SG ABOVE 80% BUT BELOW 85% US$60.73/g
SG ABOVE 75% BUT BELOW 80% US$60.07/g
SAMPLE BELOW 10g BUT ABOVE 5g US$59.08/g
Fire Assay CASH $62.37/g
NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100gs, no sample is deducted.
For the Fire Assay Transfer price, a sample of not more than 10g is deducted
A 2% royalty is charged on all deposits (small-scale miners)
A 5% royalty is set for Primary Producers
Cash available. Fidelity Gold Refinery prices will be changing daily to match world market prices.
Government through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has expressed appreciation for Tshingshang’s investment efforts and significant advancements in the development of the Manhize steel plant.
Announcing new developments Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Engineer Polite Kambamura said DISCO (a subsidiary of the Chinese giant steel producer Tshishang Holdings Group) is now diversifying into lithium mining in Gwanda, and the company also has another project in Goromonzi. He said given the company’s track record the projects are expected to succeed.
“They (Dinson) are now diversifying into lithium mining in Gwanda, they also have another project in Goromonzi so we are sure the lithium project will come to fruition given the good example they set at Manhize.
“They are also going to build beneficiation facilities for lithium in line with the Government’s thrust of local value addition and beneficiation,” Kambamura said.
Tsingshan invested US$1 billion into the Manhize project which is going to be Africa’s biggest steel plant. Production is expected commence in February 2024 with Dinson targeting to produce pig iron followed by steel billets in May and steel bars in October of 2024.
Pig iron is the product of smelting iron ore (also ilmenite) with a high-carbon fuel and reductant such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Pig iron is produced by smelting or iron ore in blast furnaces or by smelting ilmenite in electric furnaces.
Steel billets are semi-finished metal products that are an intermediate form of steel and its rectangular or square-shaped cast.
DISCO is projecting to produce 600 000 tonnes of products in the first phase rising to 1,2 million tonnes in the second phase, then 3,2 million in the next phase and ultimately five million tonnes in the final phase.
Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU), a London-listed African mining and exploration company, has announced that it is moving forward with its planned dual listing on the Nairobi and Johannesburg securities exchanges.
Marula will be the first metals mining company to list in Nairobi and would join the exclusive club of dual-listed companies.
The mining outfit will be listed as part of the NSE’s Growth Enterprise Market Segment (“GEMS”), a grouping of SME’s including Homeboyz Entertainment Plc, Kirwitu Ventures Ltd, and Nairobi Business Ventures Ltd.
The listing is currently expected in Q1 of 2024.
Marula has operations in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe with projects extracting rare earths, tantalum, lithium, niobium, and phosphate across its operational mines. In May 2023, the company established a subsidiary in Nairobi, Muchai Mining Kenya, to explore mining opportunities in copper and graphite. The demand for rare earth metals is skyrocketing globally as the world transitions to more sustainable and climate-friendly options for energy.
If successful, the NSE’s Geoffrey Odundo will be concluding his tenure as Chairman on a high note having helped put an end to the exchange’s listing drought with its June 2023 listing of Homeboyz Entertainment Plc and now Marula Mining within a year of each other. The NSE has witnessed a prolonged listings drought beginning in October of 2015 when Stanlib Fahari REIT (now ILAM Fahari I-REIT) was listed.
Marula’s listing is good news for the exchange after it was reported earlier this month that three companies including Credit Bank have suspended their plans to list on the exchange, leaving some speculating that the decisions were due to the depreciating shilling.
The GEMS segment looks to see some changes in the coming year as new regulations are hoping to remove some barriers to trading for companies looking to trade on the exchange and is expected to collapse the NSE’s three segments into two – the Main Investment Market Segment and the SME Market Segment.
Marula’s listing stands to benefit from the African Exchanges Linkage Project (AELP).
The AELP is an initiative launched by the African Securities Exchange Association (ASEA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) aimed at unlocking cross-border investment opportunities across the continent’s many different exchanges.
“The dual listings are in addition to our planned move of our primary listing in London to the Standard List of the LSE, which we are continuing to progress as well,” Marula Mining CEO Jason Brewer said in a statement to the press.
Faida Investment Bank is advising Marula’s listing as the company’s Nominating Advisor and Sponsoring Stockbroker while Bridge Capital Advisors is continuing as Marula’s Corporate Advisor and overseeing its JSE’s listing.
Pioneering a Game-Changing Pilot project in Southern Africa
In September 2023, Kuchera embarked on an innovative pilot project, collaborating with three major global Mining Houses in Southern Africa. This pioneering initiative allowed us to dive deep into the mining landscape, incorporating real-world challenges and aspirations into our solutions.
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Kuchera Head of Product and Technology, Chris Hugger testing our solution at a Coal Mine in Southern Africa
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Our on-site engagement with key industry stakeholders, including mine managers, production managers, planning managers, maintenance managers, and haulage contractors, provided firsthand perspectives on their daily operational challenges. These insights will enable us to tailor our solution to meet their unique needs.
Customer Feedback: “Efficiency and Loads Matter!”
In load and haul operations, equipment effectiveness is paramount, driven by factors like availability, performance, and quality. One Operations Manager at a Coal Mine emphasised the need for a solution that calculates availability and performance. By acting on performance insights provided by Kuchera, the pilot customer reported a 6% improvement in fuel efficiency. Additionally, Kuchera intends to assist customers in achieving productivity targets, enhancing profitability, and addressing hauling challenges efficiently.
Mxolisi Sibiya getting real-time insights
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Chris Hugger after a successful trial run
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