Mining ZimbabweLatest Mining News, Policy and Industry Updates

AUSTRALIAN based oil and gas company Invictus Energy is working on raising US$3,98 million from shareholders to pay for Exalo’s drill rig to be delivered for the Cabora Bassa project in Zimbabwe.

The Cabora Bassa project comprises the Mzarabani and Msasa gas and condensate prospects, which Invictus describes as “world-class multi-trillion ft3” plays.

Early this month, Exalo Drilling signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Invictus Energy Ltd to drill the Muzarabani-1 exploration well with an option for an additional exploration well at the Cabora Bassa project in Zimbabwe.

Last Wednesday, Invictus announced a placement of A$3,5 million and a share purchase plan of up to A$2 million to raise a total aggregate amount of up to $5,5 million.

Under the placement, Invictus will issue 35 million new fully paid ordinary shares at an issue price of A$0.10/share.
The proceeds from the placement will be used to fund a range of initiatives to further develop the Cabora Bassa project.

Invictus will also use the proceeds to pay for the rig mobilisation fee, purchase of long-lead items for the planned 2-well drilling programme and finalisation of the data processing of CB21 seismic survey.

In concert with the placement, Invictus will offer all eligible shareholders a share purchase plan to raise up to A$2 million, resulting in a maximum of 20 million shares being issued under the plan.

All eligible shareholders will have the opportunity to apply for up to A$30 000 worth of new shares.

The project received environmental approval from Zimbabwean authorities in August last year. — New Ziana

MINING group, Rio Zimbabwe (RioZim) Limited says the high-grade pit at Murowa Diamond Mine has reached its life span resulting in the operation posting a 43 percent decline in output.

Murowa Diamond project, which is situated in Zvishavane is RioZim’s US$450 million mine development programme that the Government has granted national project status.

In a statement accompanying financial results for the third quarter ended 30 September 2021, RioZim said:

“The group’s associate RZM Murowa (Private) Limited recorded a 43 percent decrease in production compared to third quarter of 2020.

“The low diamond production was as a result of processing low-grade ores from the K1 pit after the high-grade K2 pit reached pit life.”

Sometime this year, the mining group indicated that works had begun on the US$450 million project that would see the mine switching from open pit to underground mining.

The project is also one the many investments Government envisages would feed into the strategic plan of growing the mining sector to a US$12 billion industry by 2023.

“The associate’s Crown Jewel Project, which will increase the processing capacity of the plant is progressing albeit at a slower pace than desired due to lack of adequate foreign currency,” said RioZim.

Last year, the company produced 568 222 carats, and the mining group intends to increase output to over one million carats by 2025.

Government has been pulling all the stops to support new investment in both greenfield and brownfield projects.
Alrosa, the world’s biggest diamond producer, is presently on the ground prospecting for gems in the country.

Following the signing of a joint venture between the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) and Alrosa to develop diamond mines in Malipati, Matabeleland South, exploration was now in full swing.
Preliminary works have been completed.

In Manicaland, Chinese firm Anjin, which has a workforce of about 500 people, has so far invested US$38 million to resuscitate operations.
The miner was targeting production of 900 000 carats this year.

The Chronicle

ONE of the directors at Rongxin /Mambo Mine in Sanyati has allegedly offered 10 kilogrammes of gold to suppress the investigation into a forced child marriage case involving a Chinese engineer at the mine, it has been established.

The 15-year-old girl (name withheld) dropped out of school after she was forcefully married off to the Chinese engineer by her parents on November 26.

The incident occurred in ward 5 under Chief Neuso, Sanyati district, in Mashonaland West province.

The girl was in Form 3 at Tomdrayer Secondary school at the time she was married off.

Sources yesterday revealed to NewsDay that one of the directors at the mine (name supplied) has offered to pay at least 10kg of gold worth US$570 000 as compensation in a bid to suppress the case.

“The director of the mine is one of the owner’s daughters. She gives directives from China,” alleged the source.

“She has said they want the case suppressed by any means possible. The main reason is that the forced marriage suspect is a key engineer at the mine and operates the underground mining department. They do not want to lose him by any chance and are doing everything to ensure he is not jailed for marrying the minor,” the source said.

Efforts to get a comment from the director were fruitless.

Last month, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that a Chinese mine engineer who works at Ringxin/Mambo Mine had been arrested and was being investigated for marrying a minor.

The engineer in question last week appeared before a Kadoma court, where he was remanded out of custody and the case has been condemned locally and regionally.

Newsday

PLATINUM miner Bravura Zimbabwe has handed over food hampers to 30 villages as it brings festive cheers to the Mhondoro-Ngezi  community.

The handover of the food hampers done last week was part of the miner’s corporate social responsibility programme.

Bravura expressed gratitude to Chief Chivero for the hospitality given to the organisation and making sure Bravura worked peacefully in his area.

The platinum miner has also assisted vulnerable families in Mashonaland West to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also donated ambulances and ventilators to the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

Bravura country director Lionel Mhlanga said they had completed nearly 4 0000 meters of core drilling.

“Inhouse-owned core drilling rigs were acquired at a cost of nearly US$5m,” he said.

“High tech exploration laboratory was acquired, installed and commissioned at a cost of US$$500 000.”

The platinum miner has a workforce of 200 made up of direct employees and sub-contractors.

The mine has not recorded lost time injury or fatality since inception, Mhlanga said.

Newsday

Zimbabwe’s giant southern neighbour’s government is easing several Covid-19 lockdown measures under an Adjusted Alert Level 1, the South African Presidency announced in a statement on Thursday evening.

The changes were based on the trajectory of the pandemic, the levels of vaccination in the country and the available capacity within the health sector.

“All indicators suggest the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level,” the Presidency said.

Therefore, the Cabinet has approved three significant changes to lockdown measures, with immediate effect.

Firstly, the curfew has been lifted, which means there will be no restrictions on the hours of movement of people.

Secondly, indoor gatherings will be allowed for up to 1,000 people indoors and no more than 2,000 people outdoors.

Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used.

Lastly, establishments that sell alcohol with licences to operate beyond 23:00 will revert to full licence conditions.

All other restrictions remain in place, including the mandatory wearing of a mask in a public place.

The changes come after meetings of the National Coronavirus Command Council and the President’s Coordinating Council, in which they were provided with updates on the management of the fourth Covid-19 wave in South Africa.

“The information gathered through the system used by the Department of Health has reported a 29.7% decrease in the number of new cases detected in the week ending 25 December 2021 (89,781), compared to the number of new cases detected in the previous week (127,753),” the Presidency explained.

“Cases declined in all provinces except the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, which recorded increases of 14% and 18%, respectively.”

“There has been a decline in hospital admissions in all provinces except the Western Cape,” it added.

“While the Omicron variant is highly transmissible, there has been lower rates of hospitalisation than in previous waves.”

“This means that the country has a spare capacity for admission of patients even for routine health services.”

The increase in deaths in all provinces has been “marginal”.

However, the Presidency warned the risk of an increase in infections was still high given the transmissibility of the Omicron variant.

“Government, therefore, calls on all organisers of these gatherings to ensure that all health protocols are observed at all times and that all attendees are encouraged to be vaccinated,” the Presidency said.

“The NCCC will continue to monitor the situation closely and will make further adjustments as necessary, particularly if pressure on health facilities increases.”

“South Africans are urged to continue observing basic health protocols to prevent the transmission of the virus,” it added.

The government also called on South Africans to get vaccinated, as it remained the “best defence against severe illness, hospitalisation and death from Covid-19”.

Furthermore, it urged parents to support their children aged 12 years and older to vaccinate before schools open.

“This will avoid learners losing school time as a result of testing positive or as a result of contact with people infected with Covid-19,” the Presidency said.

South Africa is Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner and is home to Implats the majority shareholder of Zimbabwe’s biggest mine, ZIMPLATS. In Zimbabwe curfew kicks in at 21:00hrs until 05:00 am daily.

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