Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

THE Matobo Rural District Council has bemoaned low revenue inflows amid concerns that mining companies operating in the district were not paying enough levies.

Council chief executive officer Elvis Sibanda said mines hardly paid levies to the local authority.

“We have a very serious problem with the mining companies in the district. The mines hardly pay their levies to council. They are quick to pay to the central government but not to us,” Sibanda said.

Sibanda said the other problem in the district was the issue of mine owners changing very often.

“You discover that there are some miners in the districts and they are not registered and that alone becomes a challenge. The other issue is that someone owns a mine and the next day that same mine has been taken over by someone else,” Sibanda said.

“In terms of development, we are still having a challenge with mines.”

Sibanda also complained over the issue of land degradation by illegal miners.

“On the ground it is visible there is no reclamation of the ground. Most of these miners are illegal miners and we all know how they attend to the environment,” he said.

Sibanda could not be drawn into revealing the total revenue debt owed by the mining sector to the council.

Recently, villagers in Matobo district blocked a mining company, Mazinahue Syndicate, from mining in the area, fearing that they would be evicted from their ancestral lands.

Most communities located near mines have been crying foul of not benefiting from the mining activities in their communities.

NewsDay

THICK plumes of smoke billowing from a sprawling Bulawayo City Council (BCC) landfill site popularly known as Ngozi Mine in Richmond suburb are a daily sight.

The hazardous smoke is now encroaching the nearby Cowdray suburb resulting in the choking smoke wafting into the houses thereby putting the lives of residents in danger.

The residents have since petitioned BCC to address the landfill air pollution which they say is affecting them.

Recent studies have found that air pollution is linked to childhood cancers and cognitive impairment in both children and adults.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), up to 14 percent of all children aged five to 18 have asthma and every year, more than 500 000 children younger than five years die from respiratory diseases linked to air pollution.

It may also affect foetal brain growth and prolonged exposure to air pollution can also lead to heart and lung-related illnesses.

Richmond suburb landfill site popularly known as Ngozi Mine emits smoke that is affecting Cowdray Park suburb residents in Bulawayo.

The Cowdray Park residents said due to the smoke from the landfill, they are developing respiratory problems.

This comes as the Meteorological Service Department also warned that air pollution is on the increase during this time of the year and could affect members of the public with asthma, hay fever among other respiratory conditions.

A Chronicle news crew visited the suburb and residents appealed to council to urgently address the problem.

The news crew also observed the thick smoke from the landfill that the residents are complaining about.

Ms Eliza Ndlovu said she often experiences challenges in breathing as a result of the air pollution.

“We are now forced to go to bed wearing masks to prevent inhaling the polluted air. When they start burning you feel like you are being suffocated by the smoke. I will be continuously coughing and this triggers asthma attacks. I’m not the only one complaining about this problem,” said Ms Ndlovu.

She said residents do not even know what is being burnt at the landfill and they suspect that even dangerous chemicals are being dumped there.

Another resident, Mr Simbarashe Nyoni said he has lived in Cowdray Park for about 20 years and the pollution is worsening by each passing year.

He said when the scavengers start burning waste at the landfill it does not only affect their breathing but their eyes become itchy as well.

“The stuff is burnt almost every day. Some days are better but when its serious you will definitely feel like you are choking. We don’t know what needs to be done but something has to be done as soon as possible. This will have a long-term impact on our lives,” he said.

The Chronicle news crew also visited the landfill and could not stay even for five minutes on site due to the choking smoke emanating from the dumpsite.

Cde Kidwell Mujuru
The news crew however, observed that there were some scavengers at the site. They said they pick up plastics to sell to recycling companies and the smoke was also affecting them.
The crew also observed that there were a lot of children of school going age who were also scavenging for waste, some of them barefooted.

Cowdray Park Councillor Cde Kidwell Mujuru said the air pollution issue has seen residents petitioning council to address the problem.

“Residents in my ward are really concerned about the air pollution that is coming from Ngozi Mine landfill. For the past three months, the pollution has worsened. There are some scavengers who burn waste in search of scrap metal.

Some residents have been rushed to hospital after asthmatic attacks triggered by the smoke,” said Cde Mujuru. He said he has reported this to council which at times send workers to put out the fires.

Chronicle is in possession of the petition that residents submitted.

“We the residents of Cowdray Park in general and particularly the residents of DRC Section B are deeply concerned about Ngozi Mine looming health disaster caused by continuous and unwarranted burning at the dump site. We have observed for a long time, clouds of
chemically polluted smoke rising from the dumpsite polluting the air that we breathe as residents of Cowdray Park, particularly Section B because of our proximity,” read part of the petition.

“Some of the smoke filters into our houses and chokes us during our sleep at night. This is very unhealthy to us adults, children and the environment. This has immediate and longterm effects on our health.”

The residents demanded that council should come up with a clear road map and provide them with feedback on how it is going to address the challenge.

The country’s environmental watchdog has also raised a red flag over the air pollution at
Richmond Landfill site.

Environmental Management Authority (Ema) Bulawayo provincial manager Mrs Sithembisiwe Ndlovu said the authority engaged council to address the problem.

“We are dealing with the landfill issue. We know there is air pollution that is happening there. We have engaged the council to come up with lasting solution to the problem. But in terms of health impact, I will leave that to health experts,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

BCC admitted that it was having challenges addressing the air pollution at the landfill and has employed a multi-stakeholder approach in a bid to address growing environmental problem BCC corporate communications manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said council is trying
to cover up the fire using gravel and also engage informal waste pickers as they are the ones who cause the fires.

“Council has engaged its regulatory partners such as Ema and the Zimbabwe Republic Police on the best way to prevent such fires,” said Mrs Mpofu. –

The Chronicle

TWO people died and another one was critically injured after a mineshaft collapsed at Stembok Mine in Insiza in Matabeleland South province last Wednesday.

Acting provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Stanford Mguni confirmed the incident.

“The accident occurred at 7pm at the Stembok Mine in Insiza block Filabusi. It is a registered mine. A team of six mine workers were on duty and three of them remained above the ground while three went underground in a 12-metre deep shaft,” Mguni said.

Mguni said while the workmates were trying to rescue the one who was half buried, the mine shaft collapsed again burying the two miners and they could not be retrieved.

“They went to report to the police who came and assisted to retrieve their bodies,” he said.

Mguni urged miners to practise safe mining methods to avoid accidents.

“Through campaigns, we have been calling on miners to practise safe mining methods to avoid such fatalities. Miners should also often assess their shafts to make sure that they are safe to work on,” he said.

“They can even hire safety experts from the Mines ministry to help them assess and they should also buy safety wear when getting underground.”

Cases of artisanal miners dying in mineshafts have been increasing with rescue teams usually failing to retrieve trapped bodies.

Newsday

Zimbabwe’s government has increased the strategic reserve levy by as much as 323%, a move which will push the country’s fuel price, already the highest in the region, higher.

A notice by Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube, issued on 3 September 2021, shows that the strategic reserve levy, which is charged on all fuel imports, is now US$0,127 for a litre of diesel and US$0.087 per litre of petrol. Previously, the strategic reserve levy for both diesel and petrol was US$0,03 per litre.

Through the same notice, the government also announced the reduction of the NOCZIM debt redemption levy to zero, from US$0,057 per litre of fuel, but this is scant consolation for Zimbabwean motorists who will continue to pay way more than their regional counterparts at the pump.

The levy changes amount to a net increase of US$0,03 and US$0,04 per litre of petrol and diesel, respectively.

Before the changes, Zimbabweans were being charged as much as US$0,49 in various fuel taxes and levies. In other words, government taxes and levies account for nearly 40% of the fuel price.

Zimbabwe’s regional peers such as Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana pay between US$0,81 and US$1 for a litre of fuel.

Apart from further worsening Zimbabwe’s weak regional competitiveness, the levy increase will fuel bubbling inflationary pressures. Month-on-month inflation quickened from 2,56% in July to 4,18% in August, as the government revised its year-end annual inflation rate target from below 10% to as high as 35%.

NewZwire

GOVERNMENT says several mining firms have indicated plans to list on Zimbabwe’s year-old bourse, the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX).

VFEX, which exclusively trades in foreign currency, has largely disappointed, having secured only two listings since its inception.

These are Seed Co International, which listed last year, and crocodiles producer, Padenga Holdings, which joined a few months ago.

“For more than a decade now businesses have not been able to raise capital,” the Finance minister said.

“They find it futile to raise capital in local currency. VFEX addresses that aspect. We want a platform where the private sector can attract hard currency. We are going to see that in the coming years. VFEX is targeting the exporting companies but largely the mining sector. One of the mining companies have registered and we are expecting more mining companies to list soon. It is yet another innovation that is meant to support the process for financial access and we are deepening it to give it more options to foreign investors and companies. We are also looking at the diaspora where we are engaging them to be able to participate,” Ncube added.

The Treasury boss could not disclose which firm was planning to list soon, but the New York Stock Exchange-listed Caledonia Mining Corporation, which operates Gwanda-based Blanket Mine has indicated that it could head to Victoria Falls, while Invictus Energy, which is exploring for gas in Muzarabani, has also said it may consider a VFEX listing.

“We want to list a US dollar bond on VFEX soon but we cannot give you the exact date yet as the advisors are still fine-tuning. I can’t also share the amount for now. We want to make sure that we develop a yield curve not just for domestic debt but also foreign debt on VFEX. We are really working hard on this,” he said.

NewsDay

THE Zimbabwe Diamonds and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (ZDAMWU) is pushing for a 270% salary increase that would see the least paid worker pocketing at least $65 000 per month.

They are currently earning $24 000.

In a statement, ZDAMWU secretary-general Justice Chinhema accused the Chamber of Mines frustrating employees.

“The amount $24 500 of the least paid employee in the mining industry is not only enough, but also now an insult considering that the food basket is now pegged at $45 000 and this only benefits workers in towns.”

He added: “As far as we are concerned in the mining districts, the food basket is around$ 65 000 or US$600. The mine workers salaries and wages have remained stagnant despite the inflationary environment. This is also notwithstanding the fact that the mining sector is a vital cog of our economy. As mine workers, we are demanding a minimum of at least US$500 and a COVID-19 allowance of US$100 to make it US$600 paid 100% in United States Dollars.”

Chinhema said the workers were getting “impatient” and also frustrated by the Chamber of Mines, which has failed to heed their calls.

“Mine industry workers might resort to go slow as a sign of their frustration caused by the employer for failing to adjust salaries in line with the traditional practice of quarterly wage negotiations. The works council bargaining is also being affected, without the National Employment Council gazetting minimum wage based on bargaining. At the moment, works council are used by the employers to push their nefarious agendas,” he said.

“Currently mine workers are failing to bring issues of salaries and wages on the table as employers argue that they are waiting for NEC’s outcome. The obtaining situation in the mines is not healthy, the situation has reached a boiling point. Mineworkers have been pushed to the limits and are currently suggesting to down tools or go on a go-slow as a way of pushing NEC or individual mines to increase salaries in line with the current economic situation.

“As a union, we are giving NEC up to next week to come up with something within the range of the above stated, or we will be mobilising for a go-slow across the industry or a full job action in terms of the Labour Act.”

Chinhema also claimed that some mines had not paid back pay for increases in the first and second quarter.

Chamber of Mines chief executive Isaac Kwesu said he could not comment as he was out of office.

“Please refer to National Employment Council and AMWUZ [Associated Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe] for comment. They can better give you the latest position regarding the wage negotiations as well as most key issues raised on them. I am currently out of office,” he said.

NewsDay