Have your say in the Mines and Minerals bill HB 10, 2022
Gold buying prices Friday 24 February 2023
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) official gold buying prices Friday 24 February 2023.
SG 90% AND ABOVE US$55.77/g
SG ABOVE 85% BUT BELOW 90% US$54.89/g
SG ABOVE 80% BUT BELOW 85% US$54.30/g
SG ABOVE 75% BUT BELOW 80% US$53.71/g
SAMPLE BELOW 10g BUT ABOVE 5g US$52.83/g
FIRE ASSAY CASH US$55.77/g
NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100gs and 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 charged to Primary Producers
Cash available. Fidelity Gold Refinery prices will be changing daily in relation to world market prices.
Government speaks on strategic minerals
Government has allayed fears that declaring certain minerals strategic under the proposed Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill would scare away potential investors who might view their investments as not being safe.
Mines and Mining Development permanent secretary, Mr Pfungwa Kunaka on Thursday told the Edmond Mkaratigwa led Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development public hearing on the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill in Bulawayo that the government is merely safeguarding the natural resources from being exploited without the country benefiting.
He told participants that under the bill, nuclear energy source materials, mineral oils, lithium, diamonds, rare earth minerals, copper, gaseous hydrocarbons, coal and nickel have been classified as strategic.
“What we are looking at is a development where we have other investors coming in into gas and oil, something that was not there.
“Lithium was not as popular as it is now. As a Government, we want to safeguard the minerals which are strategic and the areas they are located,” said Mr Kunaka.
He said the mineral classified as strategic has become the top of the range globally and much sought after.
“No-one should panic, we are doing this responsibly,” he said “We just want to do it responsibly and ensure that benefits accrue to the nation and not just the company prospecting and mining.”
Making special reference to diamonds which are part of the strategic mineral category, he said the Government was to prevent a 2010 scenario where the precious gem was exploited with little benefit to the fiscas.
He said if a miner discovers a rare mineral in his or her mining claim, they should notify the Government. However, that would not mean they would be pushed out of the mining claim.
Instead, a workable strategy or partnership will be put in place.
“This provision is important for us as a country and let’s safeguard these new areas that are strategic,” he stressed.
The bill defines a strategic mineral as any mineral deemed strategic by virtue of its importance to the economic, social, and industrial or security interests of Zimbabwe.
As such, if the minister of mines, after consultation with the Mining Affairs Board, deems that any mineral is a strategic mineral, he or she, with the approval of the President, shall by order published in the Gazette, designate such mineral to be a strategic mineral and may, in like manner, revoke such declaration.
The declaration order may apply to the whole of Zimbabwe or to any specified part and may be made for a definite or indefinite period of time.
It adds that any person wishing to mine such a mineral may only obtain a special mining lease or special grant.
The bill further says before obtaining such special mining lease or special grant, the person concerned must enter into an agreement with the Minister concerning on the formation of a company or other special investment vehicle in the name of which the special mining lease or special grant shall be held, and in which the State has a defined interest or stake.
Its adds that there will be special conditions as may be agreed with respect to the exploration, exploitation, marketing or beneficiation of the strategic mineral and safeguards for the sake of environmental protection, and the stakeholdership, if any, to be given to the community of the area in which the strategic mineral is to be mined
The designation of a mineral as a strategic mineral does not operate so as to prohibit the exploration for that mineral if such exploration is done independently of its exploitation, or is not done as a preliminary step to its exploitation.
Government to establish base minerals processing hubs
The government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) is working towards creating base minerals value addition and beneficiation hubs to ensure that small to medium-scale miners benefit from their mineral output.
Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Base Minerals Stakeholders Workshop held in Harare yesterday the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Hon Winston Chitando said the government was aiming at capacitating small to medium miners to ensure that they get the real value of the mineral that they are extracting.
The Minister said after the government restricted the export of base minerals ores, it was important for the government to establish hubs that will capacitate the miners in terms of market, capital and beneficiation.
“We have witnessed a significant increase in the production of various base minerals and as government we have seen that it is important we come up with hubs to capacitate our miners,” the Minister said.
Minister Chitando also said that the government was inviting investors from across the country and the world to invest in mineral processing since the government was not going to back down on its stance to ban the export of unprocessed minerals.
“We also need investors who can come in and fill in the place of how we can process the ores,” Hon Chitando said.
According to the MMCZ General Manager Mr Tongai Muzenda, the hubs will be looking towards bringing value to the country’s small to medium miners.
“MMCZ and the Ministry are working towards creating hubs for various base minerals including chrome, lithium so that we can put them in one place and then buy them from our small scale and medium miners at a fair price,” Muzenda said.
Speaking at the sidelines of the event ZMF President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said the government was going to identify areas with an abundance of base metals and establish hubs that will ensure that the whole country benefits from its God-given resource. She said the creation of the hubs is in line with the government’s thrust to achieve an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
“We will create hubs in areas where the mineral is in abundance and those hubs will be used to enable that the biggest benefit at the end of the day will be the small scale producers and the government will also benefit through royalties and as such will be able to contribute significantly towards the country’s GDP. Once we beneficiate the commodities, it will benefit the small-scale miners tremendously, especially given the background that our labour will get to tap from the skills that they are going to acquire from those that are coming to set up the plants in the country. Our battery producers have been benefiting from our markets. And once we have local markets being the ones that are going to generate whatever has been imported, it will enable the country to cut down on its expenditure, especially given the fact that we rely mostly on imports and given the current scenario where the country is actually under the gruelling effects of sanctions. We are able to generate foreign currency and we are able also to import equipment which we will now need for the continuation of production as a sector. And also once we are on that one, our small-scale miners are actually going to be the active participants in revenue generation when it comes to getting the products being produced here and exported from here and also being done by locals at the same time,” Ms Rushwaya said.
Gov issues a stern warning to investors violating labour & immigration laws
Mines and Mining Development Minister Hon Winston Chitando yesterday read the riot act to foreign investors in the mining sector violating labour and immigration laws.
“I want all mining activities in Zimbabwe to be done in accordance to the laws of this country, and I repeat that they must observe the laws of this country. We want labour and immigration laws to be observed. Government is going to take a tough stance against those who are not going to observe these laws,” Chitando told small-scale miners and foreign investors at a Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF)-organised workshop in Harare yesterday.
“It is part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision that mineral resources must benefit Zimbabweans, and that investors get their returns or profits.”
ZMF president Henrietta Rushwaya lamented the existence of middlemen in the mining sector who buy minerals from small-scale miners for a song.
“We also intended to discuss the ban of exports which came as a relief for us because small-scale miners have been supplying lithium and other ores at unreasonable prices. This was not fair at all. Just imagine selling a tonne of lithium at US$100 per tonne while the middlemen get US$800 from it, and government is losing in terms of revenue,” Rushwaya said.
She said the ban on raw lithium exports would ensure the country cashes in on value addition.
Other issues raised during the meeting were that Chinese mining companies keep clashing with local communities due to ill-treatment of workers and flouting of the country’s labour laws.
Chinese investors formed the bulk of investors that attended the meeting.
the Standard
Dallaglio Chairman Sternford Moyo Bestowed Freedom of City of London Award
The Honorary Freedom of the City of London Award is a recognition of lifetime achievement or high international standing. Dallaglio Investments (Pvt) Ltd Chairman Mr. Sternford Moyo has been bestowed with the Freedom of the City of London for his unswerving commitment to the rule of law and contributions to the international legal profession in general. The granting of this award is extremely rare and generally given today only to royalty, heads of state or figures of global standing.
Mr. Moyo is the Chairman of one of the country’s biggest gold-producing companies Dallaglio Investments (Pvt) Ltd. He is also the Chairman and Senior Partner at Scanlen and Holderness law firm based in Harare. Mr. Moyo’s award was in recognition of his outstanding work as the President of the International Bar Association (IBA). Notably he is the first person from Africa to serve as IBA President.
In his remarks, Moyo said, “It is a great honour to receive from the London City Corporation this Freedom. In fact, it has been one of the most special events of my life. I regard London as my second home, and the International Bar Association has strong roots in England’s capital city. I want to thank the City of London, the IBA and the Law Society of England and Wales for their support, and Alderman Sir David Wootton for nominating me for this prestigious award.’
“It has been my good fortune to have met, and to be, working alongside such incredible colleagues as the IBA Officers here today, including Mark Ellis, who I have worked with now for more than twenty years following our first meeting in Harare where we discussed the rule of law, administration of justice and the independence of the judiciary in Zimbabwe. I could not have conceived two decades ago that today I would have the good fortune of being seated in this remarkable city, with my family and fellow upholders of the rule of law the recipient of such an accolade.”
Sir David Wootton, former Lord Mayor of the City of London, who nominated Mr. Moyo for the Freedom, said: ‘It is a pleasure to welcome Sternford Moyo as a Freeman of the City of London. As the first person from the continent of Africa to be elected President of the IBA, he has already contributed so much to the international legal sector, and his commitment to the rule of law is something very much shared by the City of London.”
Dallaglio as well as the wider mining community would like to congratulate Mr. Moyo on this outstanding achievement.
Blitz nets 200 panners
Bulawayo City Council (BCC) rangers have roped in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in an operation to stop illegal mining activities in the Umzingwane River catchment area, which has resulted in 201 illegal gold panners being arrested.
The illegal gold miners were causing environmental damage and the siltation of dams, which affected the water-holding capacity of the city’s supply dams.
Some of Bulawayo’s supply dams affected by siltation as a result of illegal mining activities are Umzingwane, Lower Ncema, Upper Ncema, Inyankuni, Insiza and Mtshabezi. They are all in Matabeleland South province.
Of late, there has been an upsurge in gold panning activities along the rivers feeding these supply dams, thereby reducing their holding capacity.
The latest council minutes state that the director of housing and community services Dictor Khumalo raised concerns over environmental violations happening in Bulawayo.
“On the degradation in Greater Bulawayo and water catchment areas, joint patrols were conducted in the areas by rangers and police. A total of 140 hand tools and three detector machines were confiscated and handed over to Esigodini police as exhibits,” the minutes read.
“Twenty illegal gold panners were handed over to Esigodini courts for prosecution. A total of 201 illegal gold panners were arrested throughout the year 2022.”
With regards to mineral and sand extraction in Bulawayo, the minutes stated that two stakeholder meetings were held to discuss the welfare of donkeys and another one was conducted on the Hualin Quarry Mine in Pumula North.
“During the patrols, a total of 59 tickets were issued to various offenders. Twenty-six tickets had already been cleared and a sum of US$1 802,37 was realised. A total of 33 tickets were still outstanding with a value of US$15 980,27. Patrols were conducted in both the eastern and western areas of the city.
“A total of 14 truckloads were recorded at the two designated pitsand sites, and a total US$230 was realised from the sales. Illegal cultivation was now rampant as the rainy season continued. Slashing of maize was conducted at Nketa Park and Luveve Gum Plantation to curb the invasion of protected areas by illegal cultivators.”
Southern Eye
Gold buying prices Thursday 23 February 2023
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) official gold buying prices Thursday 23 February 2023.
SG 90% AND ABOVE US$56.06/g
SG ABOVE 85% BUT BELOW 90% US$55.18/g
SG ABOVE 80% BUT BELOW 85% US$54.59/g
SG ABOVE 75% BUT BELOW 80% US$54.00/g
SAMPLE BELOW 10g BUT ABOVE 5g US$53.11/g
FIRE ASSAY CASH US$56.06/g
NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100gs and 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 charged to Primary Producers
Cash available. Fidelity Gold Refinery prices will be changing daily in relation to world market prices.
Zulu lithium project nears completion
Diversified miner and developer Premier African Minerals CEO George Roach reports that the company’s Zimbabwe-based Zulu lithium and tantalum project is on track to produce spodumene concentrate before the end of the first quarter.
“We are in the home stretch in terms of final plant assembly and commissioning,” he adds.
To date, Premier has completed construction of flotation circuits, with all major structures, tanks and associated civils complete and pipework, electrical and pneumatic connections currently being assembled.
Zulu, located 80 km from Bulawayo, comprises 14 mineral claims covering a surface area of 3.5 km2.
With the exception of the secondary crushing circuit that is expected this week, all major components of the crushing, sorting, screening and milling plant are installed and ready for power-up.
Regarding water supply, the mine’s main storage dam is at a level of 10 m and already contains sufficient water for ongoing operations.
Generators and electrical motor control centres are en route from Johannesburg and will be installed immediately on arrival.
As for mining operations, Roach reports that pit clearing and exposure of the orebody is underway.
In addition, the miner points out that major earthworks, including the tailings facility, are well-advanced and are not expected to cause any delay at this time.
“A particularly wet season has not helped but what has been achieved despite this and numerous difficulties associated with logistics, borders, ongoing relocations, inter alia is quite remarkable.
“In July 2022 this was nothing but bush, today we have a mine,” he says.
Roach adds that more significant assay results are expected in the coming weeks.
Mining Weekly
Women Miners encouraged to contribute to the Mines bill
Popular Miner and business-woman Sophia Takuva has urged women Miners across the country to attend, hear and also contribute to the bill as it affects their mining operations.
In a statement, she published on African Women In Mining Empowerment Trust (AWOME Trust) Takuva said it will affect the women if they do not participate and give recommendations.
“May I take this opportunity to advise you all that the mines and mining bill is under consultation with stakeholders, would like to urge miners in various parts of the country to attend, hear and also contribute to this bill, as it affects or helps in the mining operations for the coming years. It will affect us if we do not participate and give recommendations. Remember this bill has been moving back and forth with certain areas where, especially small-scale miners have failed to do business and collective approach for those doing alluvial VS reef mining, illegal and legal miners. The Parliamentary Portfolio committee will be going around the country collecting information about challenges and areas where the bill must be looked at.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development from next week will be conducting public hearings on the Mines and Minerals bill H.B 10 2022. The bill seeks to replace the current Mines and Minerals Act which was enacted in the 1960s.
In an interview with Mining Zimbabwe, chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development Hon Edmond Mkaratigwa said everyone interested or affected in any way by Mining is welcome to attend.
“We hope by this pronouncement we are going to see a lot of stakeholders attending, and we have no limitations. Everyone who is interested or has views they want to contribute or are affected by mining in one way or another is welcome to attend,” Mkaratigwa said.
Below are the dates and places the Committee will be visiting from the 27th of February 2023.
| DATE | PROVINCE | VENUE |
| Monday, 27 February 2023 | Harare | Harare |
| Tuesday, 28 February 2023 | Mashonaland Central | Bindura |
| Wednesday, 1 March 2023 | Mashonaland East | Makaha |
| Thursday, 2 March 2023 | Manicaland | Penhalonga |
| Friday, 3 March 2023 | Masvingo Midlands | Mashava Mberengwa |
| Monday, 6 March 2023 | Mashonaland West | Kadoma |
| Tuesday, 7 March 2023 | Bulawayo | Bulawayo |
| Wednesday, 8 March 2023 | Matebeleland South | Esigodini |
| Thursday, 9 March 2023 | Matebeleland North | Hwange |
| Friday, 10 March 2023 | Matebeleland North | Kamativi |