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ICMM CEO ROHITESH DHAWAN TO ADDRESS ESG-FOCUSED AFRICA MINING FORUM IN NOVEMBER

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ICMM CEO ROHITESH DHAWAN TO ADDRESS ESG-FOCUSED AFRICA MINING FORUM IN NOVEMBER

“How good governance translates into better lives for people”

“What we have known for a long time is that countries and jurisdictions that are better governed, tend to generate better outcomes for their people, especially when it comes to the mining sector.” This is according Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and keynote speaker at the upcoming Africa Mining Forum from 2–4 November 2021.

This tailored mining investment platform for junior miners, mid-cap companies and sustainable technology solutions providers, returns with a uniquely themed concept, with each of the ESG principles, Environment, Social and Governance, providing the inspiration for separately focused, digital sessions and activities during three days.

Our objective
Africa Mining Forum hosts executives and decision-makers to engage directly with key stakeholders, investors, and asset managers through the unique networking channels to identify promising projects and deploy capital in Africa’s mining. The event also provides extensive opportunities to industry technology and service providers to showcase and demonstrate their practical solutions.

The live, digital programme will include a daily commodities outlook, three exclusive keynote sessions, strategic spotlights, technology roundtables and A-Z investment guides for burgeoning mining countries on the continent.

Awards Ceremony

Earlier this year, two of the African mining industry’s most innovative brands joined forces, when Africa Mining Forum merged with Mining Review Africa’s Mining Elites in Africa publication with a Digital Awards Ceremony during which the 2022 edition winners of Mining Elites in Africa will be announced.

Getting governance right

The ICMM recently upped the ESG ante by publishing a series of enhanced Mining Principles which define good practice requirements for the mining and metals industry, aligned with its objective of the responsible sourcing and production of metals and minerals.

In an interview with Mining Review Africa, premium media partner for Africa Mining Forum, the ICMM CEO said: “Ultimately, governance is just a fancy word for management. When we look at the question of governance of natural resources and countries, we can ask, do countries have the right laws in place? And if they do, do they implement them consistently and effectively over time? We found from the research that the countries that have made the most progress over the last 25 years (this research looked 25 years back up until 2018), the countries that made the most progress have been the likes of Indonesia, Bolivia, Peru and Botswana.”

According to Dhawan, the common theme amongst all of these countries was developing the right policies and then executing them consistently and effectively over time. “If one of those two is not right, typically, you don’t see the progress on social indicators, because what is what we were looking for, how good governance translates into better lives for people.”

Focus on Africa

According to Rohitesh Dhawan, the ICMM’s research had a special focus on Africa because they observed that since 1995, the number of countries that are resource-dependent, has increased by 60%. “When we look at the 88 countries that are resource-dependent today, they account for 30% of the world’s population. So, a very large part of the world lives in countries that are resource-dependent. And amongst those people, we have 450 million people that are living in poverty. So getting this right really matters. And getting this right really matters in an African context.”

More headline speakers will be joining Rohitesh Dhawan at Africa Mining Forum in November, including:
–  Jayne Mammatt, Partner and ESG Lead for Africa, PwC, South Africa
–  Harry Fisher, Senior Analyst l Battery Metals, CRU Group, Australia
–  Marta Dec, Senior Analyst l Base Metals, CRU Group, UK
–  Terence Lyons, CEO, TSC, Singapore
–  Gerard Reid, CEO, Alexa Capital, UK
–  Kwasi Ampofo, Head of Metals and Mining, BloombergNEF, UK
–  David Bleiker, Vice President Mining Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Wood, Canada

Unique platform

Africa Mining Forum is hosted on the Mine.it Africa – Connect platform, a unique, all-in-one, interactive digital mining platform providing in one place, African mining news and opportunities, live, interactive events and engagement.

Over 3300 mining professionals from 78 countries are already using the platform and attending the digital events and webinars. It is also an ongoing source of industry news, print and video content, interviews and podcasts as well as live webinars and conferences.

Mining Review Africa is the leading monthly magazine and digital platform in the African mining industry. Every month, MRA reaches an audience of over 50 000 influential mining authorities and key decision makers through a variety of channels, including an interactive website, videos and print distribution at all major mining conferences in Africa and across the globe.

Register here for access to Mine. It Africa – Connect.

Event organiser, Clarion Events Africa is a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors. Other well-known events by Clarion Events Africa include Enlit Africa, DRC Mining Week and Nigeria Mining Week.

Website: https://www.africaminingforum.com/

Africa Mining Forum event dates and location:
Dates: 2–4 November 2021
Location: Online

Media contact:
Annemarie Roodbol
Email: [email protected]

24.5% wage hike insult to miners – ZDAMWU

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24.5% wage hike insult to miners – ZDAMWU

Zimbabwe Diamond Allied and Minerals Workers Association (ZDAMWU) has described the recent 24.5% wage hike to miners as an insult.

Shantel Chisango
Zdamwu’s argument is that the Chamber of Mines reported profits in all sub-sectors in minerals being exported, hence concluding that the ZWL$6 000 wage increase is not really much of a help.
The General Secretary, Justice Chinhema points out that the 24.5% hike would have been helpful if it was paid on due time which was July, but now that inflation has risen to its peak, the wage are now not sufficient.
“The ZWL$6 000 increase effective July would have made  sense if it was agreed before July and paid in July, August and by now the 4th quarter is coming as is what’s happening with inflation,”
Chinhema said the National Employment Council (NEC) made the increase without any thought for the situation on the ground.
“We believe they have lost touch with reality on the ground, to the extent that they don’t even know that most mines are able to pay and are already paying above those peanuts,” he said.
He expressed his concerns saying the food basket is now said to be within the range of ZW$45 000. This is just food and it means people no longer send their children to school, they no longer buy clothes, they don’t have extended families, they don’t fall sick, what it means is all the workers’ efforts to work during the covid-19 pandemic has not been appreciated.
However, despite the disappointment, the union deemed the move as a victory saying it would have been impossible for NEC to take any steps forward.
“However, as ZDAMWU we take the increase as a victory for us as a union. We have been pushing these guys and without pressure from ZDAMWU nothing was going to come out,” said Chinhema.

ZMF Mashwest leader impressed by miners in Kadoma

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ZMF Mashwest leader impressed by miners in Kadoma

Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Mashonaland West Provincial chairperson Mr Timothy Chizuzu praised the small-scale miners in Kadoma for showing dedication to the growth and development of artisanal and small-scale mining.

Rudairo Mapuranga

In an interview with Mining Zimbabwe after the ZMF Mashonaland West Executive fact-finding mission and solution inclined mining visits to see the growth and development of small scale mining in the province the initiative which was pioneered will see the executive led by Mr Timothy Chizuzu (chairperson), Mr Johannes Sithole (Treasury) and Ms Glady’s Hwami visiting mines across the province in order to establish an acceptable and standard small scale miner in Zimbabwe. Chizuzu expressed excitement over the performance of small scale miners in Kadoma stating that their work shows that small scale mining is the future of Zimbabwe.

Chizuzu called for the proper structuring, monitoring and regulation of small-scale mining saying it has proven to have the potential to emancipate many people from poverty.

He said it was important to bring together academics, industry players and students to brainstorm on illegalities associated with the mining of gold and other minerals and how technologies could be used to control such activities.

“I’m happy we have managed to visit some of the small-scale mines in Kadoma Mashonaland West Province, I’m really impressed with how they are doing their work and I have seen that as small-scale miners we have a future,” Chizuzu said.

Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe earlier this year, RioZim Chief Geologist Mr Patrick Takaedza said the country was not supposed to entirely depend on micro mining as artisanal miners are not capable of mining deep with low-grade mining being of significant challenge to them.

He said that many small-scale miners would not afford exploration leading their mining activities to be unsustainable.

“Exploration is a very expensive and risky business which the small-scale miners have no capacity to undertake. The big companies who have that capacity will not invest in 10ha size claims for the simple fact that such a small area will never hold significant resource to recoup investment or produce for a couple of years”

“Recent thrust in exploration is to find deposits that are subsurface without any surface expression which the small-scale miner has no capacity to find”.

“Exploration diamond drilling costs approximately US$100 per metre. This means that EPOs focus on long term sustainability of the mining industry while small scale miners are just focused on near-surface, less than 100m reefs which sooner or later will get depleted and exhausted”

“Production will need to be replaced by deeper reefs or much lower-grade deposits and neither of these is attractive to the small scale. Artisanals will never sustain the mining industry because of these two simple facts. They can’t mine deep and they can’t mine lower grades’’ Takaedza said.

However, Chizuzu said miners in Kadoma have proven that small scale miners can really sustain the economy of Zimbabwe because some are beginning to mine low grades and affording to mine over 50 tonnes of gold ore a day.

 “Some of the small-scale miners are mining as low as one gram per tonne because they are pushing volumes, some are mining up to 4000 tonnes. My appeal to government and other stakeholders is that we need to support the sector so that it benefits much to the economy of Zimbabwe” Chizuzu said.

Chizuzu took over the reins of ZMF Mashonalandwest in June this year after a landslide win at a colourful ceremony held at Oddsey in Kadoma.

Chinese company that pegged a whole village operating illegally

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Chinese company that pegged a whole village operating illegally

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) says it is yet to receive an environmental impact assessment report from Heijin Mining Company, a Chinese mining company, which is on the verge of displacing several villagers from their ancestral land in Uzumba Maramba-Pfungwe.

On 2 September 2021, Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) wrote a letter to the Mining Commissioner for Mashonaland East province and to the Environmental Management Agency seeking explanations regarding the existence of a prospecting licence authorising Heijin Mining Company to peg the village so as to conduct mining activities.

This came after villagers engaged ZLHR as they were at the risk of losing their homesteads, farming fields and grazing land to Heijin Mining Company.

In the letter, Chinopfukutwa said in the event that a prospecting licence was granted to Heijin Mining Company, then the pegging of Kaseke Village is unlawful as a holder of a prospecting licence shall not exercise any of the rights conferred in terms of the prospecting licence on communal land without the consent of the occupier.

The human rights lawyer stated that the pegging of Kaseke Village without consultation and the consent of the occupiers of the land is unlawful and that in terms of Section 31(1)(h) of the Mines and Minerals Act, no holder of a prospecting licence can proceed to peg communal land occupied as a village without the written consent of the Rural District Council of the area concerned.

Chinopfukutwa asked if any Environmental Impact Assessment was conducted in relation to the mining project and to be furnished with an Environmental Impact Assessment report and a copy of the certificate approving the prospecting and pegging of Kaseke Village by Heijin Mining Company.

However, in response to the request by ZLHR, Juliet Mavu, EMA’s Provincial Environmental Manager for Mashonaland East province, disclosed that Heijin Mining Company is yet to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment report for its intended mining project and therefore no Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate has been issued out to the miner.

The Environmental Impact Assessment report is an instrument that is relied upon to identify and assess the potential environmental, social and health impacts of a proposed project, evaluate alternatives, and design appropriate environmental and social management plans during the lifecycle of the project.

Mavu said EMA received a prospectus for the proposed Kaseke and Chibvi 2 black granite mining, cutting and polishing plant in Uzumba Maramba-Pfungwe District from Heijing Mining on 29 June 2021.

Newsday

NEC rates of pay for the Mining Industry July – December 2021

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NEC rates of pay for the Mining Industry July – December 2021

The National Employment Council (NEC) for the Mining industry has published the rates of pay for the period July 2021 to 31 December 2021.

The new minimum rates of pay for grades 1-13 were agreed upon in dual currency (US Dollars & ZW Dollars) by the Associated Nine Workers Union of Zimbabwe and the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, on 28 September 2021.

DOWNLOAD MINING INDUSTRY PAY RATES HERE

ZCDC shines at Zimbabwe CEO’s Network awards

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ZCDC shines at Zimbabwe CEO’s Network awards

Zimbabwe’s largest diamond producer, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) last month shined at the Zimbabwe Executive Officers network awards after grabbing two accolades.

Anerudo Mapuranga

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mark Mabhudhu won the Outstanding Public Sector Leader award whilst the company’s Public Relations Manager Mr Sugar Changonda won the Public Relations Executive award.

Musician Plaxedes Machuma (popularly known as Plaxedes Wenyika) was the guest of honour at the colourful awards.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka attended the occasion in which her sister Ms Nomhle Maggie Mliswa was among the winners in outstanding women in the business category.

Among other notable winners, there was Gweru businesswoman Dr Smelly Dube who also won the best outstanding leader in business award.

This year, Mabhudhu was crowned Eastern Region Megafest CEO of the year Platinum award for his outstanding business leadership.

Mabhudhu was honoured for his innovative leadership style -supreme business excellence and high standards of ethical conduct, integrity, civic and social responsibility.

Mabhudhu has over 28 years of experience in the mining industry locally and internationally.

Mabhudhu started his career in 1990 at Rio Tinto Cam Dump Gold Retreatment Plant as a metallurgical student on attachment where he performed metallurgical test-work and material balance schemes.

He also had an opportunity to familiarize with the Empress Nickel Refinery and learnt the entire business value chain of the operations.

He later joined Lomagundi /Alaska Smelting and Refinery (Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation), again on attachment.

In 1993, he was employed by Auridiam Zimbabwe (Pvt.) Ltd – River Ranch Diamond Mine for three years where he designed and built, commissioned and optimized the plant.

Between 1996-99, he moved to BHP Zimbabwe (Pty) Ltd – Hartley Platinum Mine as a Process Metallurgical Engineer where he built and commissioned the Hartley Platinum Complex including the Concentrator plant, Smelter and Refinery plants, optimized the Concentrator plant and ramped production to full capacity He recruited, trained and developed plant personnel across the plant operations. He rose through the ranks to plant superintendent level.

He then joined Debswana Diamond Mining Company – Jwaneng Mine in  1999– April 2009 where he built, commissioned and optimised the state-of-the-art diamond processing and recovery plant.

While at Jwaneng Mine, he obtained a full understanding of the entire value chain into diamond valuation, as well as the cutting and polishing industry.

He rose through the ranks from mineral process engineer to the technical process manager and finally strategy executive of the organization.

Mabhudhu was appointed the inaugural CEO of PAASOL Resources Zimbabwe (Pty) Ltd in August 2009 – 2010 and ratified by the Board of Directors to provide leadership and direction of this start-up organization.

In 2010, he moved to Marange Resources (Pvt) Ltd. where he rose through the ranks to become acting CEO between 2014 –2015.

In 2018, he went on to join Vast Resources PLC – Diamond Business as a Consultant/Executive Director in charge of directing and leading the firm’s aspirations of becoming a prominent mining house in the country as well as internationally with particular focus on diamonds and setting up the Zimbabwe mining operations.

In September 2018 , Mabhudhu re-joined ZCDC as the substantive Chief Executive Officer with the sole responsibility of repositioning the diamond company into a profit-making entity in line with shareholder and stakeholder expectations.

Mabhudhu has a BSc (Hons) Engineering – Metallurgical from the University of Zimbabwe in 1992 and was awarded a Book Prize (Top Student), Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from the Buckinghamshire Chilten’s University College in UK (2000) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the same University in 2001 where he was also awarded Top Student Prize. He has a Master of Philosophy in Information and Knowledge Management (MIKM) from the University of Stellenbosch (RSA) (2008) and is currently undertaking a Doctoral study in Business Administration (DBA) with the University of Pretoria’s Gibs Business School (Thesis final stage).

Tharisa due to consider Selous PGM project proposal by end of year

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Tharisa due to consider Selous PGM project proposal by end of year

THARISA said it was due to present a development proposal for a platinum group metals (PGM) mine in Zimbabwe before the year-end after resuming drilling on the project at the end of last year and completing technical studies.

The company has a 26.8% stake in Karo Platinum which was in March this year awarded the mining right over a 90 million ounce PGM resource in Zimbabwe’s Selous PGM-bearing region.

Selous is part of the Great Dyke in Mashonaland, West District of Zimbabwe. Previous estimates suggested Karo’s mineral holdings of Selous could support a 1.4 million oz a year PGM mine, and a refinery.

Ilja Graulich, head of investor relations for Tharisa, acknowledged drilling of the prospect had been delayed last year owing to Covid-19 disruption but said the company was moving towards an investment decision.

“We are now doing the groundwork with the second round of drilling have restarted in November. We will be presenting this to the board where we might either take the project in-house or develop it through Karo,” said Graulich.

The Selous deposit was previously owned (and drilled) by Zimplats, controlled by Impala Platinum.

Tharisa could consider a special dividend, according to comments made by Tharisa CEO, Phoevos Pouroulis in July. This was following the firm’s third quarter numbers in which the company said it was course for full-year production guidance from its operations in South Africa of between 155,000 to 165,000 ounces of PGMs and between 1.45 to 1.55 million tons of chrome concentrate.

Supported by PGM basket prices, which eased but remained elevated, the company increased net cash 40% to $41.8m as of June 30. This was after paying its interim dividend of $10.8m.

MiningMX

Bubi Stakeholders meet to discuss farmer-miner conflicts

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Bubi Stakeholders meet to discuss farmer-miner conflicts

Bubi stakeholders on Monday held a meeting to discuss how best they can resolve farmer-miner conflicts in communities.

Shantel Chisango

Stakeholders present during the meeting were the Ministry of Mining and Mines Development, Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Rural District Council, Zimbabwe Republic Police, and delegates from Agritex.

At the meeting, it was discussed that entitlement is the major cause of farmer-miner conflicts, hence the urgency to properly address the issues.

Adding on, it was said that both the mining and farming sector are crucial to the development of the country’s economy.

It was also stated that the reason why conflicts arise among miners and farmers, is because both parties fail to peacefully work together.

“Both farmers and miners lack understanding on the power of working together,” said a delegate at the meeting.

Furthermore, the issue of pegging arose during the meeting and the Mines ministry elaborated on the issue of pegging saying that it is not its responsibility, but the responsibility of prospectors.

“The Ministry of Mines explains the pegging process to the Bubi Stakeholders. It has been elaborated that the Ministry doesn’t Peg mines but peggers.”

Moreover, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) commented that the miner-farmer conflict has been in the public domain for a while.

“The issue of #farmer #miner conflict continues to dominate discussions in several mining communities,” said ZELA.

ZELA emphasised the importance of managing conflict before it takes a toll on the community.

“We have to manage conflict before it manages us,” added ZELA.

It wasn’t clear however if artisanal small-scale miners and prospectors were represented at the event since they are at the forefront of the disputes.

BREAKING: Trouble brewing as map is stolen at Chinhoyi office

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BREAKING: Trouble brewing as map is stolen at Chinhoyi office

The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Mashonalandwest Provincial office lost a mining claim map for an area in Norton, an inside source revealed to Mining Zimbabwe.

The reasons behind the theft of the map is not known as yet but there is a growing belief that those who stole the map wanted to cover up a mining concession dispute raising fears of more trouble brewing from the affected area.

Mines officials are allegedly blaming miners and prospectors for the theft. Investigations by the police are however in progress and nothing has been recovered as yet.

Miners have been calling for the government to quickly introduce the mining cadastral system to reduce disputes and other such risks.

Minister Winston Chitando recently handed over brand new maps to all provinces replacing the mostly torn, unreadable tattered maps to the delight of the mining industry.

Mashonalandwest is arguably the richest province housing major miners like Zimplats, Cam and Motor, Elvington, Eldorado, Pickstone Peerless, Dalny Mine, Great Dyke Investments, Mhangura mine, Golden Valley, Venice Mine and many more.

This is a developing story.

More to follow…

Zimbabwe asked to settle $70 million debt after Legal Loss

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Zimbabwe asked to settle $70 million debt after Legal Loss

Zimbabwe has been asked to settle a $70 million debt after it lost an international arbitration case over cancelled nickel and platinum ventures between a private company and the state miner more than a decade ago.

Companies linked to Amaplat Mauritius Ltd. made the proposal in a Sept. 15 letter to Zimbabwe’s Secretary for Finance and Economic Development, George Guvamatanga, seen by a South African publication, Bloomberg.

The alternative is having the assets of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corp. seized after the 2019 ruling.

The case highlights challenges faced by Zimbabwe as it seeks to use its mineral wealth to kickstart a stagnant economy after years of erratic policy decisions and asset seizures sapped investor confidence. While investors from Russia, Cyprus and Nigeria have had plans to open platinum mines over the last three years, little progress has been made. The country also has large gold and chrome deposits.

Under the proposal made by Amaplat, Zimbabwe would:

  • Make a $15 million payment into an account at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. The bank would then permit these to be paid to the companies outside the country
  • Pay the euro equivalent of $30 million into an international bank account held by Amaplat
  • Pay the companies the equivalent of $25 million in the form of mining assets in the country

The payment plan has also been discussed in a meeting with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya the company principals, according to the letter.

“There are discussions taking place between Amaplats,  the Ministry of Mines and ZMDC and these are progressing very, very well although nothing has been concluded,” Guvamatanga said in a response to queries. “I can’t comment on the contents of the letter.”

Mangudya didn’t respond to two calls to his mobile phone and a text message. Titan Law, the counsel in Zimbabwe for Amaplat, declined to comment.

Zimbabwe’s mines ministry referred questions to the finance ministry and a call to Amaplat’s office in Mauritius wasn’t answered.

Bloomberg

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