Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has proposed to the mining ministry to assist in the success of achieving the 2023 twelve billion mining industry.
Speaking at the 2021 pre-budget expectations of the mining sector in Zimbabwe held at Crown Plaza, ZMF CEO, Mr. Wellington Takavarasha said ZMF has been engaging with the mines ministry on how they can assist in reaching the twelve billion mining industry by 2023 target.
“We have been meeting with the Mines Ministry proposing ways in which the twelve billion target can be achieved through the cooperation of the ministry with artisanal small-scale miners for most of the gold comes from small scale miners.”
ZMF chairman further added that the ministry must formalise small scale miners for this target to be possible.
“Ministry of Mines needs to be serious with the issue of formalizing miners without licenses for the number of miners with licenses is outnumbered by those without.
“There are over 1.5 million illegal miners whereas a minimum of thirty thousand miners are registered, small artisanal miners must be brought into the game to make this goal achievable, he said.”
Making reference to Zambia and Tanzania mining sector which receive mining grants from their ministry, Takavarashe requested that ZMF be assisted with mining grants to help them capacitate small-scale miners with educational awareness campaigns.
“ZMF needs mining grants just like Federation Mining of Tanzania (FEMATA) to empower small scale miners in contributing to the increase of the country’s revenue through forex.”
The Chairman of the Mines Committee Portfolio, Honorable Mkaratigwa added that the twelve billion budget is possible if all mining sectors come together to cooperate in revenue increase through forex from minerals.
“Mining sectors in the country need to come together so that this goal can be achieved and that the revenue of the country can increase.”
The mining industry has been hit by an acute shortage of capped fuses. The industry is screaming. The few suppliers who still have the product have doubled their pricing from an average of $1.80 to a minimum of $3.50. The most affected are the small scale miners who have remained stuck with the safety fuse despite their counterparts, the large scale miners having moved over to the cheaper and more effective products on the market.
By Moshen Jena
Why the small-scale mining industry still relying on the safety fuse system when it is inherently unsafe and better alternatives are available on the market still remains a mystery. Why we are still importing a product all the way from Peru and yet they are alternatives being manufactured locally and in the region again boggles the mind. For the experts in the field of explosives engineering, this shortage is a golden opportunity to start robust and candid discussions around the use of safety fuse.
Other countries such as South Africa, have gone a step further and banned the use of the safety fuse in favour of modern products such as the shock tube. The product found on the market is imported all the way from South America because major explosives suppliers locally have stopped manufacturing and closed their local plants.
The Capped Fuse system has commendably served the mining industry for well over 120 years. Invented in the 19th century by William Bickford, an English rope maker, the fuse replaced earlier and less reliable methods of initiating Gun Powder which had caused many accidents in the mining industry. With time, newer and better initiation methods such as the electric detonators, electronic detonators, detonating cord and shock tube (invented by a Swedish Scientist Per Anders Person) have emerged replacing the capped fuse system in many mining operations.
Looking at the array of available initiation systems, the shock tube is touted as the best alternative to the caped fuse. To the Explosives Engineer, a choice between the capped fuse and shock tube is a case of simplicity vs safety, cost-effectiveness and efficiency. The caped fuse is simple to use and the knowledge of using them has been passed from generation to generation of Makorokoza (as the small scale miners are referred to). There is an insatiable demand for the capped fuse and cartridge combination on small scale miners market.
On the other hand, the shock tube is safer to use, reliable, cheaper (40% cheaper) and gives better results compared to the fuse. The downside of the shock tube is that it is not as simple to tie up. Again, when they were first introduced to the mining industry, Shock Tubes were considered to be a superior product and therefore priced at a premium. Now because of their widespread use and the increase in the number of plants manufacturing the product, their prices have gone down and hence considered to be the cost-effective alternative to the fuse.
Despite all these benefits and widespread acceptance in the large scale mines, to the small-scale players in Zimbabwe, the safety fuse still remains a dictator, eclipsing the shock tube and other initiation systems. It is not a secret that the small scale mining industry has historically been extremely conservative and it has been difficult to bring miners to experiment with technology. The reasons for this technophobia are many and varied, one can spend the whole day pointing fingers. But the 21st century dictates its terms and to stay afloat, traditional mines need radical changes. The miners need to embrace newer technologies to remain competitive.
To stimulate the Miner’s appetite, here is a brief discussion on how the two systems work.
Caped Fuse System
Fuse and igniter cord system
Fuse and igniter cord systemFuse and igniter cord system
A capped fuse is a length of safety fuse with a detonator attached at one end and an igniter cord connector attached to the other end. The fuse burns and only explodes when it gets to the detonator end. The fuse is initiated by means of an igniter cord.
The igniter cord is a flexible cord-like, incendiary comprising of a copper wire core and covered with a plasticised incendiary composition and waterproofed with a thin layer of polyethylene. An open flame (from a match or lighter) sets the igniter cord alight and the open flame travels to the capped fuse. The detonator end of the capped fuse then initiates the cartridge or fracture explosives.
The shortcomings associated with the capped fuse system are: Igniter cord is impact sensitive, it is inaccurate causing misfires and out of sequence firing, it produces large quantities of noxious fumes, it introduces fire hazards (due to the open flame) and the system is not 100% waterproof.
Shock Tube system
Shock Tube systems
The Shock Tube (Nonel system) is a narrow bore hollow plastic tube containing a light dusting of an explosive mixture of HMX and Aluminium powders at a core load of 15mg/m. HMX is a powdered high explosive developed by the British military and mixed with paint grade fine aluminum as a sensitizer.
The Shock Tube system is highly insensitive to initiation by heat or impact and requires an intense, high-impulse shock to initiate the reaction. Shock-tube systems use a small detonation in an almost empty plastic tube to transmit the initiation signal at approximately 2000m/s throughout the blast pattern. The plastic Shock Tube is composed of one or more layers of plastic, which are designed to enhance the tensile strength and abrasive resistance of the tubing.
Many shock-tube system configurations are available from most explosive manufacturers. Hole-to-hole and row-to-row timing can be introduced by using a combination of surface and in-hole units or a combination of dual-delay detonators with both an in-hole delay and a surface delay on the same unit.
With proper training and product support from the suppliers and experts in the field, the Miners are set to benefit through the reduction in the cost of initiation systems, reduction in the amount of noxious gases produced as the fuses burn and better product performance.
Calls for genuine improvements in mine safety being made by Governments and the Mining Industry, and the widespread acceptance of the Shock tube system have seen major manufacturers of the Capped fuse system gradually phasing out the product focussing more on the newer technology. This leaves out the industry laggards having to rely more on small-time players in the far East and Western hemisphere who cannot guarantee consistent supplies into the future.
The safety fuse has served the mining industry well and still remains a hero that deserves a “mausoleum” (in an Explosives heroes acre of course), but perhaps like other icons, this is the time to hand over power to the younger generation of initiation systems. Our Miners need to be educated on the alternative technological options available so that they can make informed and profitable decisions. The time to act is NOW.
For more information on explosives please contact Moshen Jena on 0782504066
Notorious gold dealer, Baron Dube (44) of Habane Extension Township in Esigodini has been sentenced to an effective 10 years in prison for killing a member of a rival gang following a dispute at a mine.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva on Tuesday convicted Dube of murder after he fatally shot Prince Antony Bvundura (22) in September 2018.
In passing sentence, Justice Takuva said Dube was a bully who was motivated by greed.
“In the first place, you had no right to be at that mine which you claimed the owner tasked you to manage. There was a gold rush at the mine and you were driven there by greed because you are a bully,” Justice Takuva said.
He expressed concern over the prevalence of violence among miners saying the courts have a duty to protect the sanctity of human life through passing deterrent sentences.
“Recently violence among miners is on the rise. The court has to pass sentences that will dissuade the would-be offenders as crimes in the mining areas have become a danger to society. People like you have to be removed from society. A young man lost his life due to your greed. Imprisonment is the right thing for you and therefore you are sentenced to an effective 10 years imprisonment,” ruled Justice Takuva.
He reminded Dube of his automatic right of appeal against both conviction and sentence at the Supreme Court.
Dube, who was out of custody on $2 000 bail, fatally shot Bvundura in September 2018 in the heat of a fight over a mining claim at Block 13 Atlas Mine in Esigodini.
He used a Voere 458 calibre rifle.
The shooting happened at a mine belonging to Mr. Tendai Musanangura and Dube said Mr. Musanangura had granted him the authority to occupy it. Mr. Musanangura however denied granting the authority.
Dube, who was being represented by Mr. Leopold Mudisi of Mutendi, Mudisi and Shumba Legal Practitioners had told the court that the firearm accidentally discharged after he stepped on a rock and fell down while fleeing from a mob, which was throwing stones at him while baying for his blood.
“I fell down while trying to run away from the illegal gold panners who were chasing me and in the process, the revolver, which was stashed in my shorts accidentally discharged after I fell into a pit. I didn’t realise that I shot a person until the following day when I was approached by police while trying to fill up the pits, which had been dug by the illegal gold panners,” he said.
Dube had denied that he opened fire at his rivals during violent skirmishes, claiming he was the victim. He also denied that there was a gold rush at the mine.
Under cross-examination, Dube failed to justify why he had to arm himself since he purported that his intention was not to fight anyone.
Upon his arrest he was found with a gun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition. Newsday
In an effort to plug under-declarations of mineral exports, customs and excise officers will soon undergo training on how to evaluate minerals a government official has said.
Mines and Mining Development Minister said his ministry and that of Finance and Economic Development, under which the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority falls, were discussing how to equip customs officers so they are able to detect possible under-declarations of exports.
“We are discussing with the Ministry of Finance on the way we can have this intervention and in due course, we will overcome this challenge,” he said while responding to journalists in Beitbridge on Monday.
Chitando, alongside the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company officials, were touring a multi-million exploration camp in Beitbridge which was established by Alrosa, a Russian diamond firm, and ZCDC to investigate the presence of diamonds.
It has already been established there are indeed diamonds on 15 special grant areas in Maitengwe and Beitbridge, which form the Malipati Diamond Project.
Deliveries of gold at Fidelity Printers and Refiners has dropped over the last two years, plunging by 73% in September to close at 1,36 tonnes from 2,8 tonnes in the comparative period in prior year owing to rampant smuggling.
This year’s gold deliveries are expected to end the year at 25 tonnes, nine tonnes less than what was delivered in 2018 when prices were much lower than this year.
More than 34 tonnes were delivered in 2018.
A high-profile court case involving suspended Zimbabwe Miners Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya over charges of attempting to smuggle gold bars weighing 6kg to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, has sparked debate in the country over leakages of the precious minerals and how much smuggling is costing the country.
Many customs officers based at Beitbridge Border Post told NewsDay that they did not know all the minerals the country exported and only rubber-stamped documents presented for exports.
Gold mining investors are pressuring Zimbabwe to change a law forcing producers to sell their output to the central bank, which partly pays them in local currency that’s worthless outside the country.
That law is making it hard to raise capital for investment projects, according to B2Gold Corp. and Caledonia Mining Corp., which are considering acquiring assets in Zimbabwe. B2Gold Chief Executive Officer Clive Johnson said the Canadian company has held talks with the government about changing the rules to unlock investment.
While mining investment is key to rebooting Zimbabwe’s collapsing economy, the nation suffers from an acute shortage of dollars. As the rally in bullion generates more interest in the industry, the government is “weighing its options” on whether to grant investors gold-trading licenses, said Deputy Mines Minister Polite Kambamura.
“The ability to handle gold sales is critical to a company like ours,” said B2Gold’s Johnson. “It’s an issue that would have to be clarified first for one to buy some assets and build some gold mines.”
Zimbabwe currently forces large scale gold miners to sell their bullion to Fidelity Printers and Refiners Ltd. It pays them 70% in dollars and the remainder in local currency.
Payment delays of up to two weeks by Fidelity Printers and Refiners have impacted on producers, according to Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe CEO Isaac Kwesu. Gold output in the southern African nation fell 30% in the first 10 months of 2020 from a year earlier. Existing mines require almost $400 million in fresh capital, the industry lobby group said.
To justify building new mines, Jersey-based Caledonia would need to take charge of its gold sales, said CEO Steve Curtis, whose company is interested in buying one of Zimbabwe’s largest gold operations.
“Those are the conversations the authorities have to get their heads around if you want an industry to be invested in,“ Curtis said in an interview. “That legislation, if they get rid of it, the level of investment would no question be up.”
United Kingdom Gemstone miner Gemfields has progressed with the planning of a series of five small and sequential emerald auctions in November and December to address market demand for specific grades and to supplement its longstanding direct sales programme for the lowest qualities produced by its Kagem mine in Zambia.
These mini-auctions comprise a selection of grades that are typically offered at Kagem’s auctions of higher-quality emeralds.
The miner on November 10 reiterated that its auctions scheduled for this year had been severely impacted by the many travel, quarantine and congregating restrictions put in place to mitigate Covid-19 contagion.
Having planned to host five regular-format auctions in May, June, August and two in December, the miner has only been able to host one regular-format auction in February in Lusaka, Zambia, yielding $11.5-million from the sale of commercial-quality emeralds.
However, as part of the mini-auctions, selected lots have been made available for in-person and private viewings by customers in Tel Aviv (Israel), Singapore and Jaipur (India).
Subsequent to the conclusion of the viewings, the auctions take place on an online auction platform specifically adapted for Gemfields and enabling customers from multiple jurisdictions to participate in a sealed bid process.
The first mini-auction was successfully completed on November 6 with all four of the offered lots sold.
Gemfields product and sales MD Adrian Banks says the first of five sequential online mini-auctions saw all four of the offered lots successfully sold. “Prices were robust and, in some cases, comfortably exceeded bids received in pre-Covid-19 auctions.”
The remaining four mini-auctions will be concluded on November 12 and 27, as well as on December 4 and 11.
Gemfields expects to announce the final and aggregated results of the five mini-auctions on December 11.
Gemfields’ typical auction schedule includes five to six auctions a year – two of mixed-quality rubies and three to four of emeralds (split between higher quality and commercial quality). However, because of a reduced number of auctions this year, Gemfields reports that no ruby auction revenue is expected this year.
As reference, in 2019, Gemfields’ six auctions accounted for 93% of total group revenue (about $200-million out of some $216-million) with $120-million of revenue derived from two ruby auctions and $80-million derived from four emerald auctions. The average number of lots offered at Gemfields’ emerald and ruby auctions to date is 24 and 72 respectively.
As previously announced, Gemfields holds sufficient rough gemstone inventory to be able to host one auction of each of mixed-quality rubies, higher-quality emeralds and commercial-quality emeralds.
Given their reduced size, sales from the five mini-auctions are not expected to materially affect Gemfields’ ability to host three larger auctions using available inventory.
Further, and subject to market conditions and Covid-19 developments, Gemfields expects to host two larger auctions – one each of mixed-quality rubies and higher-quality emeralds – in the first quarter of 2021.
Meanwhile, in terms of gemstone output, Gemfields reports that principal operations at both the Kagem emerald mine and the Montepuez ruby mine have been suspended since March and April, respectively.
However, the miner hopes that mining operations will resume by March 2021, subject to market conditions and Covid-19 developments.
About Gemfields
Gemfields Group Ltd is a natural resources company incorporated in Guernsey and headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and is a supplier of responsibly-sourced coloured gemstones. The company specializes in the mining, processing and sale of coloured gemstones, in particular emeralds and rubies.
Mining weekly additonal reporting by Mining Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Mashwest Regional representative Dr. Chiedza Chipangura, has indicated that ZMF is planning to educate artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) on safety in mining.
By Precious Chikuruwo
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe Chipangura emphasised the need to protect miners from hazards associated with mining.
“As ZMF we are planning to educate all miners on safety precautions when working in mine shafts. We want to protect our miners, as well as our environment, therefore, we are going to plan a workshop, where we invite rescue teams and educate our miners ”
She further added that it is within the interest of everyone that the operation at Task Mine Syndicate be stopped in the meantime considering that the environment is not safe to work.
“The operation at Task mine Syndicate was put on hold by the Ministry of Mines as a way protecting the residence of the Task Mine Syndicate and also the rescue team “.
The ZMF Regional representative went on to add that the shaft mine beside Task Mine Syndicate called Zuvarabuda has been using heavy machines such that it had an impact on the Task Mine Syndicate therefore safety measures must be considered.
“A neighbouring mine of Task Mine Syndicate called Zuvarabuda has been using heavy machinery therefore recently it has been reported that the Zuvarabuda mine collapsed but luckily no one was below, after this incident the operation at Task Mine Syndicate was been stopped as it was also showing signs of collapsing once again”.
Dr. Chiedza also said that the Task Mine Syndicate issue is complex to such an extent that it involves cultural norms.
“As ZMF we have helped the community in giving them funds to buy cattle to perform traditional rituals they insisted were necessary though there are land disputes between Chief Zvimba and Chief Nangezi. Following the accident of the Task Mine chairman Mr. Timothy Masviba, which is highly believed to have been the victims’ spirits sending a message, it is alleged one of the miners is having nightmares of the dead victims’ spirits asking him why they haven’t exhumed their bodies like the first one” said Chipangura.
Dr. Chiedza concluded that as ZMF they are going to do anything possible to help the victims’ families and miners at large.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Nkayi has urged the public to venture into the mining industry through the proper right channels after three suspects were arrested for selling liquor illegally to gold panners at a local farm.
In a statement, ZRP was adamant in urging the public to practice mining legally for it is an offence to the state.
“Members of the public are advised to follow legal procedures to venture into the mining industry.”
Police further added that about a hundred illegal gold miners have since vanished from the area.
A study by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has revealed that illegal mining has damaged a total of over eleven hectares of land while degrading over one thousand kilometres of riverbank ecosystems in the country.
The illegal miners’ activities are causing rampant degradation to the environment and have become a threat to socio-economic development.
EMA also encouraged people to take a stand in curbing environmental crimes as the land is jeopardized in the process.
Speaking to Reuters, Zimbabwean’s Miners Federation (ZMF) Spokesperson Dousman Mangisi said, “There is nothing that can be done to lessen gold rushes in Zimbabwe, all we can do is to mobilize and register illegal miners so that they can mine legally.”
In the book ‘A call to halt destructive Illegal mining in Zimbabwe-2017’, Dalu and Wasserman say the problem of illegal gold mining is fast spreading through the Eastern Highlands and other parts of the country, as hundreds of artisanal gold miners swarm to the area, tearing up natural forests and plantations.
Dave Darling a veteran Zimbabwean miner in the video below speaks about Rock crystal mining. The rock is the first of its kind to be found in Zimbabwe.
Rock crystal can be found in some form in any geological environment that allows the formation of quartz in general. Large, well-formed and transparent crystals can be found in some pegmatites, in alpinotype vugs, and hydrothermal veins.
Prospect Resources Limited, African Lithium Developer has announced that it has secured long-lead equipment items and is commencing the pilot plant project at the Company’s Arcadia Lithium Mine (“Arcadia”) to produce high purity petalite and spodumene samples.
In a press statement Prospect’s Managing Director Sam Hosack said the plant is expected to produce bulk samples of 500tonnes of petalite and 120tonnes of spodumene concentrate on customer qualification.
“Our current key focus is to operate a pilot plant to replicate the Arcadia flowsheet to produce high purity petalite and spodumene. The pilot plant delivers a number of key objectives for customers, project finance parties, and investors in de-risking the Arcadia project. It is a major milestone that we have secured the long-lead purchases.”
He further added that the processing technology has the ability to produce high purity products at planned volumes and samples are to be sent to current and potential offtake partners in H1 2021.
Furthermore, the design of the pilot plant is based on flotation test work done by ANZAPLAN and scaled up to a pilot plant size by the Beijing General Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (BGRIMM) using proven flotation technology solutions.
Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) will be undertaken using information gathered from the pilot plant which will determine the phasing, scale of growth and nominal capacity of the Arcadia project.
It is planned that FEED will be completed in H1 2021, which will include a period of operational observation and modifications, improvements or enhancements identified during the piloting phase will be adequately incorporated into the FEED study.
Prospect will utilize its existing shed facility to house the pilot plant, a number of the key equipment items such as milling and crushing have been sourced in the country, further simplifying the execution plan.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
