Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

Zimbabwe’s gold sector has demonstrated a solid performance in the first quarter of 2026, with total deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) reaching 9,311.92 kg. This represents a steady 8.29% increase compared to the 8,599.10 kg delivered during the same period in 2025.

The quarterly growth was largely anchored by a massive surge in February 2026, where total output jumped to 3,412.95 kg, significantly outpacing the previous year’s February performance of 2,596.11 kg.

Sector Contributions

The data from FGR highlights a tale of two sectors:

• Small-Scale Producers: This sector remains the backbone of national production, contributing a total of 6,510.91 kg for the quarter. While they peaked in February, deliveries cooled to 1,748.70 kg in March.

• Primary Producers: Large-scale industrial mines have shown remarkable consistency and growth. Their monthly output climbed steadily throughout the quarter, finishing at a high of 1,105.31 kg in March, a 14% increase over their March 2025 figures.

Quarterly Highlights

As the 2026 mining season progresses, the industrial sector’s ability to maintain an upward trajectory suggests improving operational efficiencies at major mines. Although the small-scale sector experienced a month-on-month dip at the end of the quarter, the cumulative volume of over 9.3 tonnes puts the industry in a strong position to meet annual targets.

The Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) has declared its intention to take artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) training to every province and district in the country, as it celebrated the graduation of 300 miners, nearly half of them women, from a pioneering 32-hour intensive programme at Elvington Mine.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at Magandi Park on 30 April 2026 in Chegutu, ZSM Principal Edwin Gwaze hailed the event as “a defining moment, not just for the 300 individuals who graduated, but for the very future of Zimbabwe’s mining industry.”

Gwaze reminded the audience that the Zimbabwe School of Mines was founded with a clear mandate: “to consider the means of affording technical education and practical training for those who wished to enter the mining sector.”

For a century, that mandate was fulfilled primarily from the main campus in Bulawayo. But today, he said, the school stands “on the threshold of a new era” by bringing responsible mining training directly to mine operations.

“We are operationalising the vision of a nationwide training school. We are saying that knowledge should not be restricted to those who can travel to our campus. It must be a tool available for every Zimbabwean who dares to dig for the prosperity of our nation.”

The 300 graduates completed 32 intensive hours of training, delivered over three weeks in partnership with Mutapa Gold Resources, covering:

• Small-scale mining methods
• Occupational safety and health
• Return on investment calculations and operational finance
• Optimisation of transportation routes and logistics

“You have confronted the harsh realities of occupational safety and health,” Gwaze told the graduates. “You now hold a certificate that is more than just a piece of paper. It is a passport to formality. It is your credential to move from being a worker to being an entrepreneur, a leader, and a steward of our mining environment.”

In a striking demonstration of inclusion, 148 women were among the graduating class, nearly half of the cohort.

“For too long, the narrative of mining has excluded the voices and talents of our mothers and daughters. Today, we rewrite that narrative,” Gwaze said.

“You have proven that the grit and determination required to succeed in this industry are not bound by gender. You are the pioneers who will ensure that the wealth of Chegutu benefits the whole community, starting from the household level.”

Why this matters: ASM’s record-breaking role

Gwaze provided the national context: artisanal and small-scale miners drove a record-breaking year in 2025, delivering 34.9 tonnes of gold to Fidelity Gold Refinery, approximately 75% of the country’s total gold output of 46.7 tonnes.

“Despite this economic importance, the sub-sector has historically been characterised by informality, hazardous working conditions, and significant technical inefficiencies,” he noted.

The National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), covering 2026 to 2030, identifies the professionalisation of the ASM sector as a core priority for achieving Vision 2030.

“The transition of miners from informal, subsistence-based activities into structured, safe, and commercially viable micro enterprises is essential,” Gwaze said.

The Principal specifically thanked Mutapa Gold Resources for sponsoring the programme.

“This would not have been possible without the sponsorship of Mutapa Gold Resources. We thank you for recognising that the sustainability of your operations at Elvington Mine is inextricably linked to the skills and safety of the small-scale miners who surround you.”

He described the initiative as “corporate social responsibility at its most impactful, investing in the very people who form the backbone of the industry.”

“As we look towards 2030, our goal is to duplicate this model in every province and every district in Zimbabwe. The graduation of 300 miners at Elvington is not the end of the journey, but hopefully the beginning of a new phase of engagement.”

He endorsed the Minister of Mines’ proposal for mining training to occur in every province, providing the technical and training oversight that prevents tragedies and promotes productivity.

RioZim Limited has secured shareholder approval for a wide-ranging restructuring plan centred on asset disposals, debt reduction, and a proposed US$35 million loan facility, as the miner moves to stabilise its finances and revive operations, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The approvals, confirmed in a company statement after all six resolutions were adopted with full shareholder support, give management the mandate to unlock value from selected assets while addressing a debt burden estimated at US$76.5 million, according to prior disclosures on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

A key component of the plan is a debt-for-asset transaction involving RZM Murowa (Private) Limited, a major shareholder. The arrangement will see RioZim dispose of its 22.2% stake in Murowa Diamonds, together with four diamond mining claims, ML 26, Sese, Shavahuru, and Bubi, valued at US$4.6 million, in exchange for the waiver of a US$60.8 million liability.

The transaction is expected to materially reduce the company’s debt exposure and form the backbone of its balance sheet restructuring.

In addition, RioZim plans to dispose of several other assets to raise liquidity. These include the One-Step gold claim in Mhondoro and the Mtandahwe copper and tungsten claim in Chipinge, with minimum values set at US$1 million and US$3 million, respectively. The One-Step asset carries a conditional pricing mechanism linked to resource confirmation, allowing for a higher valuation if in-situ gold exceeds 400 kilogrammes, or an exit option if the deposit proves unviable.

The company is also targeting the sale of non-core properties in Nyanga and Newlands, while a previous disposal of a Msasa property for US$1.6 million has been ratified.

Alongside the disposal programme, RioZim has been authorised to secure a loan facility of up to US$35 million, to be backed by its remaining assets. The funding is intended to provide working capital and support the resumption of operations without issuing new shares.

RioZim operates the Renco, Dalny, and Cam & Motor gold mines, which have faced operational constraints in recent years. At Cam & Motor, output has been affected by the shift from oxide ore to refractory sulphide ore. Although a BIOX plant was commissioned in 2019 to process the sulphide ore, it has not been fully utilised due to funding limitations.

Legal challenge casts uncertainty

However, the implementation of the approved measures now faces uncertainty following an urgent application filed at the Commercial Division of the High Court by an anonymous shareholder seeking to place RioZim Limited under corporate rescue proceedings.

The applicant argues that such a move would trigger a legal moratorium, restricting the company from proceeding with major transactions, including asset disposals and financing arrangements, while the matter is before the courts.

Representations have also reportedly been made to the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe, urging regulators to intervene.

If upheld, the application could delay the execution of RioZim’s restructuring plan at a critical stage, as the company seeks to reduce debt and restore operations.

Zambia has followed Zimbabwe in suspending negotiations with the United States on a proposed health funding agreement, accusing Washington of exploiting aid to gain preferential access to Africa’s critical mineral resources, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe on Monday said that the U.S. offered up to $2 billion in health assistance over five years but tied the conclusion of the deal to a separate critical minerals agreement that would give American companies preferential treatment over rival bidders, a condition he described as “unacceptable.”

“A further concern is the coupling of the proposed agreements, such that the conclusion of the critical minerals agreement is made conditional to the conclusion of the health memorandum,” Haimbe said in a statement. The Zambian government has been “consistent that the agreements must be considered separately on their respective merits.”

Lusaka also rejected U.S. data-sharing demands that Haimbe said would violate “our citizens’ right to privacy.” Health advocates had earlier warned that the aid carried undisclosed risks to patient confidentiality. The U.S. State Department declined to comment, citing standard practice not to disclose details of bilateral negotiations.

The move follows a precedent set by Zimbabwe, which walked away from its own U.S. health deal in February 2026. Harare refused a $367 million package, with government spokesperson Nick Mangwana explaining that the U.S. demanded “unfettered direct access to Zimbabwe’s sensitive health data, including pathogen samples and epidemiological information from our citizens.”

“The United States offered no reciprocal sharing of its epidemiological data with our health authorities,” Mangwana said. “At its core, the arrangement was asymmetrical.”

Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer and holder of significant cobalt and lithium reserves, has emerged as a strategic target for Washington’s campaign to reorient supply chains away from China. The U.S. is aggressively using offtake deals and state-backed funding to compete for copper and cobalt assets across the continent. In December 2025, the U.S. signed a partnership agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo, securing preferential access to Congolese deposits.

Southern African nations have grown wary of such agreements. Zambia’s decision comes as Zimbabwe is already seeking new health partners. The Zimbabwe College of Public Health Physicians has called for continued dialogue with the U.S. to salvage HIV treatment for 1.2 million people, but Harare refuses to compromise on sovereignty.

“A partnership, by its very definition, must be built on a foundation of mutual respect, transparency, and reciprocal benefit,” Mangwana said.

For mineral-rich African states, the growing tension reflects a broader reckoning: Western powers may no longer dictate terms that trade humanitarian aid for resource access. The U.S. has signed similar health MOUs with about 30 countries, but opposition is mounting. Ghana rejected its deal over broad health data access, and Kenya’s $2.5 billion agreement has been suspended by a court challenge.

As the Trump administration pivots from direct foreign aid to transactional economic partnerships, Lusaka and Harare have drawn a clear line.

Meanwhile, China is reinforcing its alternative. Zambia and China launched a $1.4 billion project in November 2025 to modernise the TAZARA railway for mineral exports. Chinese firms have invested about $6 billion in Zambia over the past two decades. The question now is whether Washington can afford to lose the copper and cobalt, or whether it will learn to offer partnership without strings attached.

#Mining #Africa #CriticalMinerals #Zambia #Zimbabwe #Geopolitics #EnergyTransition