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A miner dies weekly from Mine accidents in Zimbabwe

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A miner dies weekly from Mine accidents in Zimbabwe

Mine accidents in Zimbabwe have been on the rise with the country recording 125 accidents and 139 fatalities during the first 3 quarters of 2022, a government official has said.

Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at the National Mine Rescue competition at Jena Mine in Silobela last Friday, Deputy Chief Government Mining Engineer Mr Tapererwa Paswavaviri said the Mine Rescue Association should up its sleeves to help the Artisanal and Small scale miners who have contributed to the majority of the fatalities.

He also said that the office of the Chief Government Engineer was also taking the initiative of reaching zero harm and would work closely with the Mine Rescue Association.

In 2019 Zimbabwe recorded a total of 116 accidents with these resulting in 182 fatalities. In 2021, the country recorded a decrease in both accidents and fatalities as compared to the previous year with 121 accidents and 139 fatalities. As at 30 September 2022, the country had recorded 125 accidents and 139 fatalities.

“I note with great concern that the years 2019 to date, witnessed some serious increase in mine accidents and fatalities.

“These figures are unacceptable with an expectation of a vision of establishing a zero accident potential for all mines of Zimbabwe. Mine safety must be treated as a top priority by the entire workforce.

“In Zimbabwe, nearly one miner dies every week on an average over the last five years with 139 killed over the last nine months of 2022 indicating a disturbing trend,” Paswavaviri said.

The Deputy Chief Government Mining Engineer said the government was working to establish very deterrent penalties on mines that do not uphold safety and health standards.

“I understand your association has noted the adverse impacts of these losses whilst you will be taking the responsibility squarely on your shoulders, the Chief Government Mining Engineer is in the process of putting in place deterrent penalties to make compliance a better option.

“We must not allow situations of this nature where occurrences of mine accidents take one life and causes loss of millions of dollars.

“My office has been running around the country to do awareness campaigns with small-scale miners and believe the message has sunk in the small-scale mining sector. They have since taken it upon themselves to try and copy you the big brother with the assistance of the Zimbabwe School of Mines,” he said.

Zimbabwe has been plagued with mine disasters over the last few months, often resulting in the death of scores of miners. Most of the mine accidents have occurred at illegally run disused mines, with a few happening at legally-run small scale mines.

The competition saw the How Mine Rescue team as the overall winner, winning the best Proto team followed by the Mimosa Mine rescue team which scooped the second position while the SMC Zimplats rescue team was crowned third.

Meanwhile award-winning small-scale safety organisation ZIMSHEQ will be joining the event from the zonal competitions in 2023.

Gold buying prices Monday 17 October 2022

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Gold buying prices Monday 17 October 2022

Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) official gold buying prices Monday 17 October 2022.

SG 90% AND ABOVE US$50.37/g
SG ABOVE 85% BUT BELOW 90% US$49.57/g
SG ABOVE 80% BUT BELOW 85% US$49.04/g
SG ABOVE 75% BUT BELOW 80% US$48.51/g
SAMPLE BELOW 10g BUT ABOVE 5g US$47.72/g
FIRE ASSAY CASH US$50.37/g

NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100gs and no sample is deducted.
For 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 charged on Primary Producers

Cash available. Fidelity Gold Refinery prices will be changing daily in relation to world market prices.

How Mine, Zimplats shine at Mine Rescue competitions

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How Mine, Zimplats shine at Mine Rescue competitions

Bulawayo Mining Company‘s How Mine and the country’s biggest Platinum Group Metals producer Zimplats’ SMC Zimplats rescue teams dominated at this year’s edition of the national mine rescue competition held at Jena Mine in Silobela last week.

Rudairo Mapuranga

The How Mine Rescue team was the overall winner at the competition winning the best Proto team followed by the Mimosa Mine rescue team which scooped the second position while the SMC Zimplats rescue team was crowned third.

Fazilla Mukazi, captain of the How Mine team, won the initial theory best individual, best real Life call-out, best female captain and best theory while her team also won best workload individual team at a time of 11.00 minutes.

Apart from coming out as the third-best team in the competitions, Zimplats won many team and individual titles, including Best Fresh Air team with its captain winning best fresh air captain. Takaruza Chikukwa from SMC Zimplats won Proteam best captain with Spencer Makuwaza winning the initial workload test with a time of 13.56 minutes while Didien Walaza won the initial theory test Best individual with 95 per cent. Joyce Madudumise won the workload test Best individual female with a time of 14.35 minutes while Zibion Musemwa won the workload test Best individual male medium trophy with a time of 11.00 minutes. SMC Zimplats’ Charles Ganduri was crowned longest-serving member.

Second-placed Mimosa Mining Company team also scooped various prizes winning jointly with How Mine, the best workload test individual team with its captain Knowledge Makitosi winning the best individual workload test.

Other prizes went to different teams with Freda Rebecca Gold Mine’s Trust Shambare winning the initial workload test while Rumbidzai Kafura from Unki mine won the workload test Best individual female. Xmas Ncube from Hwange Colliery was crowned the longest-serving lady together with Nomination Chirumhanzu from Murowa Diamonds.

The teams had to act on a written instruction that stated, “A crew of 5 tramming employees was working in 101m levels of the Wankie shaft. It has been reported that a premature detonation occurred at 248mL N38 Sector. Your task is to proceed underground to verify the effect of the premature detonation on the N15 section. Check the following condition:

  1. Ventilation
  2. Visibility
  3. Ground and any other

The five main things that were being tested are

  1. Map reading
  2. Emergency procedures adherence
  3. Leadership and teamwork
  4. Physical fitness and endurance

The Mine Rescue Association of Zimbabwe was established in 1972 following the Hwange Colliery Mine disaster which killed 427 employees at the No. 2 Shaft.

The disaster exposed the gap in the industry for effective mine rescue structures that can respond to emergency rescue needs.

Mine Rescue National competitions underway

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Mine Rescue National competitions underway

ELEVEN Mine rescue teams are currently battling it out at the Mine Rescue National competitions currently underway at Jena Mine in Kwekwe.

Zimplats Mining, Zimplats SMC, Unki, Renco, Vubachikwe, Freda Rebecca, Redwing, Hwange, Mimosa, How mine and Blanket mine have been conducting rescue operations since 04:15hrs today in an effort to crown the best-coordinated team in emergency mine rescue operations under the banner of the Mine Rescue Association of Zimbabwe.

The teams had to act on a written instruction that stated,” A crew of 5 tramming employees was working in 101m level of the Wankie shaft. It has been reported that a premature detonation occurred at 248mL N38 Sector. Your task is to proceed underground to verify the effect of the premature detonation on the N15 section. Check the following condition:

  1. Ventilation
  2. Visibility
  3. Ground and any other

The five main things that are being tested are

  1. Map reading
  2. Emergency procedures adherence
  3. Leadership and teamwork
  4. Physical fitness and endurance

The Mine Rescue Association of Zimbabwe was established in 1972 following the Hwange Colliery Mine disaster which killed 427 employees at the No. 2 Shaft.

The disaster exposed the gap in the industry for effective mine rescue structures that can respond to emergency rescue needs.

The Association consists of rescue teams that are equipped to operate in fresh air and irrespirable atmosphere. It develops operating standards and conducts training for all brigades-persons that are certified to undertake mine rescue. The teams are placed into zones where they provide rescue services within their respective zones. The geographic spread of teams within a zone is structured to ensure the minimum response times to rescue callouts. The country has 3 ones with 12 teams which operate (three mines operate 2 teams each) in irrespirable atmospheres. The mine Rescue Association encourages every mine to operate a fresh air rescue teams that presents the first line of response should there be a need. Such teams ensure reduced response times.

Results will be announced in due course.

BREAKING: Mashwest PMD granted bail

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BREAKING: Mashwest PMD granted bail

Mashonalandwest Provincial Mining Director Ms Sibongubuhle Mpindiwa has been granted bail.

Mpindiwa was ordered to pay rtgs ZWL60 000 and remanded to the 9th of November 2022.

Mpindiwa was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Monday and charged with various offences mainly to do with issuing mining certificates of mines already under the ownership of other parties.

Meanwhile, some miners have raised a red flag saying even if the evidence points to wrongdoing it is surveyors and geologists who go to the ground for verification therefore they also should be held accountable as they are the ones that put forth recommendations for Mpindiwa to approve.

This is a developing story…

Mine-grabbing cartels invade Kadoma

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Mine-grabbing cartels invade Kadoma

A sophisticated, dangerous and skimming mine-grabbing cartel has invaded the City of Gold (Kadoma) and the surrounding areas where the cartel has been grabbing mines owned by unsuspecting individuals and mining syndicates.

Many unsuspecting, suspecting and knowledgeable individuals have fallen prey to the skims of the cartel losing their mining concessions in part or in full. Miners in Kadoma say the cartel has been a distraction to the achievement of the US$12 billion mining industry as they are always creating disputes leading to the suspension of mining operations by the courts.

Who are the members of the mining cartel?

The cartel which compromises members of the security sector,  influential people, members of the Judiciary, officials from the Ministries of Local Governance, Mines and lands is under the brains of gold buyer mine grabbers.

How do they do it?

The skimmers of the cartel (gold buyers) will identify and investigate a small-scale gold mine that is consistently producing high grades. They then identify loopholes that they can use to create a dispute so that mining operations can be suspended by the court.

The well-connected cartel will do everything in its power to make sure that its case will always have an upper hand in the courts of law even though its case may be weak.

After creating disputes and taking the matters through the courts of law, the cartel makes sure that the case will never come out of court whilst operations are suspended as a way of making the miner desperate. (The miner will be accumulating debts from unpaid employees, lawyers and other costs related to the suspension of the operations thereby making him/her desperate to seek an outside court settlement.)

The miner will then be approached by either or all from the security sector, the judiciary, Mines, Lands and Local Governance Ministry who then recommend him/her to approach a certain saviour (who is also part of the cartel) so that the person can help them. Unsuspecting that the person is part of the cartel, the miner will approach that person for help. The person before helping will make the miner signs a document claiming half or more from the mine after helping solve the dispute.

Outcome

The miner will eventually win the dispute but will have to give part of his mine to the cartel due to their agreements.

Gold buying prices Tuesday 11 October 2022

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Gold buying prices Tuesday 11 October 2022

Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) official gold buying prices Tuesday 11 October 2022.

SG 90% AND ABOVE US$51.20/g
SG ABOVE 85% BUT BELOW 90% US$50.39/g
SG ABOVE 80% BUT BELOW 85% US$49.85/g
SG ABOVE 75% BUT BELOW 80% US$49.32/g
SAMPLE BELOW 10g BUT ABOVE 5g US$48.51/g
FIRE ASSAY CASH US$51.20/g

NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100gs and no sample is deducted.
For Fire Assay Transfer price, a sample of not more than 10g is deducted
2% royalty is charged on all deposits (Small-scale Miners)
5% royalty is charged on Primary Producers

Cash available. Fidelity Gold Refinery prices will be changing daily in relation to world market prices.

Mnangagwa warns lazy Mines officials

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Mnangagwa warns lazy Mines officials

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned government officials who are not doing their work professionally to up their sleeves as lazy work was an act of sabotage to economic revival.

Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for phase one of the Dinson Iron and Steel project in Mhanhize between Chivhu and Mvuma, President Mnangagwa said the country was being sabotaged by unpatriotic and lazy government officials who were not putting their hearts into their work.

The President warned that those officials will face an axe if they are found on the wrong side.

“We have officials who sit in air-conditioned offices, who take long to approve investors’ documents. They just hang their jackets in offices and sometimes read documents halfway and put them aside then the next day they come up with another excuse, and this will continue until the project is buried. We don’t want such kind of officials in this country,” President Mnangagwa said.

This has come after reports indicated that the Mashonaland West Province Mines office has not been timely issuing mining titles despite being capacitated with more vehicles and staff leading to miners opting to operate illegally.

The Mashonaland Central Province Mines office was also in news recently for closing its offices willy-nilly for meetings.

Labour Ministry to address worker exploitation allegations by Chinese

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Labour Ministry to address worker exploitation allegations by Chinese

The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has moved in to address allegations of exploitation and slavery-like treatment of mine workers by Chinese-owned mining firms.

Rudairo Mapuranga

The move by the labour Ministry to address the allegations came after the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Mine Workers Union (ZDAMWU) wrote a letter seeking government intervention in the alleged ill-treatment of mine workers.

The Ministry of Public Service informed ZDAMWU that it is currently working with National Society Security Authority (NSSA) to investigate the allegations and it has also engaged the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to address the matter.

“The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare acknowledges receipt of your letter… Wherein allegations of rampant disregard of Zimbabwe labour laws were levelled against Chinese-owned mining companies operating in the country. The Ministry wishes to advise that it is currently engaging the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to comprehensively develop effective strategies to address this matter.

“The Ministry would like to highlight that it is working collaboratively with the National Society Security Authority (NSSA) to conduct workplace inspection across the country to investigate and check compliance by Chinese-owned mining companies to the country’s legislation,” the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare’s Permanent Secretary S Masanga said to ZDAMWU.

ZACC speaks on charges Mashwest PMD is facing

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ZACC speaks on charges Mashwest PMD is facing

Mashwest Provincial Mining Director is currently being held at Police cells in Chinhoyi criminally charged with abuse of office.

Mining Zimbabwe spoke to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) Commissioner John Makamure who outlined the various offences the Mashwest Provincial Mining Director (PMD) Ms Sibongubuhle Mpindiwa is currently being charged with.

First on the list was the mining title she issued to Frank Siyankuni at a mine owned by Dallaglio Investments contravening section 45 of the Mines and Mineral Act Chapter 21:05

“On 22 February 2019, the accused person Sibongile Mpindiwa being the Acting Provincial Mining Director in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Mashonaland West Province issued a mining certificate to Frank Siyankuni for Ruvengo for Stockdale Farm in Chegutu.

The mining area which was issued to Frank Siyankuni by the accused person belongs to Dallaglio Private Limited which was issued a mining certificate for the same mining area in 2005. The mining certificate to Dallaglio Private Limited was never cancelled.

When the accused person issued the certificate to Frank Siyankuni, she knew very well that Dallaglio Private Limited had a mine with Registration Certificate Ruvengo 77 to 81 at that same area contravening section 45 of the Mines and Mineral Act Chapter 21:05,” the Commissioner said.

The commissioner also said Mpindiwa unlawfully issued a license to a Kwaramba to mine in a farm reserved for a government company violating section 31 subsection 1 paragraph (d) of the Mines and Minerals Act Chapter 21:05

“Sometime in February 2021, the accused person issued Kwaramba a prospecting license to mine at Strathmore Farm located in Banket. The farm is reserved for Mining Promotion Corporation, a Government exploration company under EPO 07/2019.

The accused person issued a prospecting license to Kwaramba whose blocks are located right under the EPO 07/2019.

The accused person as a Provincial Mining Director acted contrary to and inconsistent with her duties as a public officer and her actions were in violation of Section 31 subsection 1 paragraph (d) of the Mines and Minerals Act Chapter 21:05 which states that no person shall be entitled to exercise any of his rights under any prospecting licence or any special grant to carry out prospecting operations or any exclusive prospecting order on an area reserved for another use by the other responsible state authority.

The accused was supposed to act in accordance with the Act by rejecting the application for a prospecting license since the area in question was under EPO 07/2019,” Makamure said.

“On 04 June 2021, the accused person Sibongile Mpindiwa being the Provincial Mining Director in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Mashonaland West Province revoked ZURICH Mine registration number 268 and 269 under revocation invoice number 063213B.

Hardwork Berah Zurich Mine 268 and 269 number 8664 and 8665 had been issued its certificates on 11 September 2006 and was forfeited on in September 2011. The accused person later revoked Zurich Mine registration number 268 and 269 number 8664 and 8665 on 04/06/21 which is 10 years later after the accused person had forfeited the mine in question.

The accused person acted contrary to and inconsistent with her duty thereby Showing Favor to Hardwork Berah and disfavour to Athanas Ranjeni and other applicants on the waiting list Contravening Section 272 subsection (3) of the Mines and Mineral act which requires that such revocation can only be done within 21 days from date of forfeiture.

The accused was supposed to act in accordance with the Act, by rejecting the application to revoke since the time which is required by Section 272 subsection had lapsed,” the commissioner concluded.

After the news broke of the PMD’s arrest more say they will come forward to submit their complaints to the commission after similar experiences.

Meanwhile, the country’s anti-corruption unit is opposing bail stating that the PMD is likely to interfere with witnesses since most of the witnesses fall under her span of control in her capacity as the Provincial Mining Director of Mashonaland West.

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