Caledonia has received a generating license for the proposed 18MW solar project to supply Blanket mine. The miner is currently evaluating tenders received to build the project. In the meantime, they are working on clearing the 38 hectares (approx. 94 acres) site for the project.
More to follow…..
The ailing economy and the unrestrained rise of poverty saw a great number of women finding their way into mining and as the economic conditions continue to take a turn for the worst a lot more women are getting involved in the mining industry.
By Sharon Tsuro
However, due to the various obstacles, women are struggling to be accepted into the sector. Their challenges revolve around societal opinions on gender equality, exploitation, lack of financial capital, equipment and tools, legal and policy restrictions and lack of adequate support from the government. In an era where Zimbabwean women in their numbers are getting relevant training in the mining sector, this article serves to discuss ways in which young technical women can be incorporated into the industry.
The patriarchal nature of the Zimbabwean society demeans the mindset, physique and general capability of a woman. According to Dreschler (2001), cultural barriers impose a heavy burden on women, as a result, limiting their mobility and ability to start up and run their own businesses. They are generally believed to be the weaker sex but the question one would be prompted to ask is, what kind of strength does one need to make it in the mining industry and what evidence is there to prove that women do not have what it takes to survive in the industry? Women now constitute approximately fifty percent of small-scale miners in Zimbabwe (Dreschler; Hoardly and Limpitlaw, 2004). The likes of Mrs. Evans Majola (Founder of Mthandazo Women’s Mining Centre in Collen Bawn Gwanda) and Mrs. Sthembile Ndlovu (Chairperson) are examples of women who are making it in mining.
Henceforth it is of paramount essence to educate society and make them believe that women are capable and can be trusted to do well in the mining industry. This can be done through social media platforms, national television, newspapers, and magazines. The society needs to get used to the fact that it is not an inconvenience or an anomaly to have women working in the mines. Accepting women in the industry actually guarantee economic growth and help alleviate poverty.
It is commendable that the government allowed small scale miners to sell to Fidelity Printers. In 2016, they set up a loan facility to anchor the production of gold by artisanal miners (The Gold Development Initiative Fund). Sadly, the government served only twenty-million out of the one hundred and fifty million fund for the female miners. This included money for training at Zimbabwe School of mines. This goes on to show that even the government has little confidence in women who are in the mining industry. There is a lot more that the government can do to support young women in the mining sector. In an interview done by the Global Press Journal, a spokesperson for Fidelity Printers said distribution of funds had been poor and only ten percent of the twenty million had been given out at that time. The authorities need to start supporting women not only theoretically because they are also the future of this nation and thus, but they should also be given enough resources that will enable them to compliment the men in resuscitating the economy through the exploitation of minerals.
The exploitation of women by men in the mining sector needs to stop. In as much as women may want to be included in the mines, no living being can tolerate abuse especially if it’s gender-based. Women have complained of being sexually assaulted by men who only see objects meant to satisfy their physical needs whenever they feel like. In other instances, women are forced to surrender the proceeds of their labor to men who bully them around. According to Sophia Takuva (Secretary of the Zvishavane Women Miners Association), Amid all the talk of land plots, machinery and earnings at ZWMA, there is always an unspoken problem that haunts the discussions in the group. Women are harassed and abused by men at all stages of the mining process. She said, “Many women we know have experienced it, its just one of those things that are difficult to talk about.” In order to make the mining industry a better place for the women, stern measures should be put in place to discipline offenders and women should be encouraged to speak up about abuse. Women need to know that the mining industry is not a male territory and that they have rights.
After graduating, young women can only dream of getting employed let alone start their own mining businesses. The lack of financial capital is the deadlock to the brilliant minds of these women. This has been worsened by their subordinate position in society. Financial institutions are allowed to give out loans to everyone regardless of gender but women still remain victims of distrust. According to (Maramba 1998), most financial institutions will not grant loans to women unless the husband supports the application. This proves to be very hard on the young technical women who would have finished their courses but are either unemployed, don’t have assets to use as collateral or are single. Women need more organizations that will have enough confidence in women to be able to fund them.
The legal and policy measures are a stumbling block for women who would wish to penetrate the mineral exploiting department. The process of acquiring a mining license is not inclusive and it takes way too long. There have been complaints of women who wait for years before they can start working legally. Some of the costs needed to acquire the necessary documentation are way too steep. In order to curb this, the Mines and Mining Development Ministry needs to make the process faster and easier for those that want to invest in Zimbabwe’s mining industry.
In a nutshell, young technical women need a society, government, and financial institutions that believe that they are more than capable of working with men in the mining sector. The media is a major source of definitions and images of social reality (McQuail1994:1), therefore it should be used to change archaic beliefs about what women can and can’t do. Given a fair chance woman can help create a better Zimbabwe.
Written by Sharon Tsuro. Sharon is a Metallurgy graduate from the Zimbabwe School of Mines and she
writes in her own capacity. She can be contacted via email on [email protected]
CNRG director Farai Maguwu says artisanal mining in the country is a poverty-driven crisis and there is need for government to offer alternative livelihood options to local communities to stop the illicit trade.
The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) director said people in communities were living miserable lives hence their decision to venture into risky artisanal mining.
However, the trade has seen police officers besiege gold mining areas hunting down the informal miners following a rise in machete attacks across the country.
Last week, armed police raided the gold-rich area of Penhalonga, northwest of Mutare where they arrested 186 illegal miners.
Police said the operation was meant to flush out illegal miners, sex workers, drug paddlers, and illegal shop operators who are reported to be fuelling illegal gold panning activities.
However, Maguwu said there was a need to find a holistic approach to stop artisanal mining.
“A holistic approach is needed. Artisanal mining is a poverty-driven issue. In Zimbabwe, it has been exacerbated by climate change and high unemployment,” he said.
Without offering alternative and sustainable livelihood options, Maguwu said the illegal panners will be back in the pits the moment they are released from custody.
“Government should proffer solutions and alternatives. Without offering alternative and sustainable livelihood options, they will be back in the pits the moment they are released,” he said.
Artisanal miners who managed to escape the police dragnet and spoke to this publication after the police operation said without an alternative livelihood option, they would continue to risk their lives by digging for gold ore in the pits and disused shafts in Penhalonga.
“We have families to feed, so the government should give us an option. We want the government to formalise artisanal mining so that we can eke out a living from our natural resources,” said Mike Rondozai, 34.
Richard Maruta, 43, weighed in, saying most of the artisanal miners were retrenched at a local mine and they no longer have any source of income instead of illegal mining.
“All the local mining companies that have capacity to provide employment closed long back. We are now destitute in our own land, but we are humans and we need to survive,” Maruta.
DTZ -Ozgeo mine was closed in November 2013 following a government directive to shut down all alluvial gold mining operations in the country that were mining along river beds while Redwing Mine also put a lid to its operations citing viability challenges. Both mines are in Penhalonga.
CNRG Exists To Ensure Natural Resources Are A Blessing And Not A Curse To The Host Communities. The Extractive Sector, Whilst Viewed As A Boom By Government And Corporations, Is In Reality Doom To Most Communities Who Have Fallen Victim To The Paradox Of Plenty. Mining Has Led To Somatic Violence, Deleterious Psychosocial And Health Impacts On Communities, Especially Women And Children. It Is Harmful To The Environment Especially Where There Are No Tight Regulations To Reduce Environmental Impacts Of Extractive Industries. The Government Of Zimbabwe Acknowledges That The Extractive Sector Is The Chief Architect Of Illicit Financial Flows From The Country.
NewZimbabwe
THE CEO of Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) parent company for Zimbabwe Platinum miner Unki Mr CHRIS Griffith, called time on his seven-year stint as CEO of the firm saying it had represented “the pinnacle” of his career.
His resignation is effective April 2020.
“After more than seven years at the helm, and given all that we as a team have achieved, this is now the natural time for the next generation of leadership to take this business forward and deliver further value,” he said in a statement.
Amplats said Griffiths’ replacement would be an internal appointment.
Griffiths goes out on a high after taking over at Amplats during a period of restructuring and plummeting platinum prices.
During this period, Griffiths famously clashed with former mines minister, Susan Shabangu, who reacted angrily to the firm’s plan to cut 400,000 ounces of platinum production, potentially affecting 14,000 jobs. She threatened to withdraw Amplats’ mining licence, but the restructure proceeded in any event.
Today, the company’s shares are more than 200% stronger than in 2013, assisted by sky-high pricing for palladium and rhodium in particular.
In February 2019, Amplats approved a R11,25/share payout, its largest in 10 years having resumed the dividend and hiking the payout ratio to 40% of earnings. This payout was dwarfed, however, by the firm’s 2019 performance, announced today, in which Amplats unveiled a final dividend of R11.2bn and a special dividend of R25/share – its first since 2001 – taking the total dividend to R14.2bn equal to R52.60/share.
This was on the back of a doubling in EBITDA to R30bn year-on-year. Net cash was R17.3bn. Headline earnings came in at R18.6bn, an increase year on year of 145%. Headline share earnings were R70.87/share.
The improvement, as stated previously in Amplats’ trading statement, was partly based on a 36% improvement in PGM prices. The other major highlight of the 12 month period was that it occurred without a single fatality.
Asked to comment on his decision to resign, Griffith said: “I’ve done what needed to be done for the company. It has got good momentum and this is not the peak, but it is a good time for succession.
“I will look for the next challenge. I believe I have got the energy and potential and perhaps I will look for something different.”
His decision to step down – about which he had been considering “for a little while” did not presage a switch in company strategy, or disagreement with the major shareholder, Anglo American. “It does not signal major change in strategy at all. I’m 55 years old. I think I’ve got one or two positions left in me so you don’t need to scratch for an ulterior motive.”
Source: Mining MX
Machete gangs have wreaked havoc in the small scale mining industry and in rare reported cases have small-scale miners succeeded in foiling machete gang’s attacks.
Ongoing blitz from the Police has had machete gang leaders going underground in fear of the long arm of the law making the industry much much safer. A Kadoma menace machete gang known as Ziga went viral early this year with the gang showing off their small loot armed to the teeth with machetes, swords, and knives on video. The video got over 13 000 views on the Mining Zimbabwe YouTube channel. The fearsome video attracted attention from the Police, saw the gang leader getting arrested in Rushinga 385km away a few hours after it surfaced.
Small-scale miners definitely need to boost their security in order to minimise the risk of getting easily robbed by the so-called Machete gangs or Mashurugwi as they are popularly known countrywide. The gold they steal is believed to be smuggled into South Africa where the precious commodity fetches a higher price and is paid in a more preferred currency to our local dollar.
Below are some of the methods to safeguard your mining claims.
Retired Chief Inspector Elia Sungiso said that “Machete gangs” are not prophets. They are fed with information from within for them to strike. Their modus operandi is they get tipped on mining claims performing well and they ask for names for easy access to the target site. Suspects in such cases are disgruntled workers working at target mines who will, in turn, be given a “cut” (share of the loot). It is highly advisable that mine owners vet their workers and pay decent rates. They should also inform workers on the dangers and risks of discussing mine performance outside work zone.
Miners should make it a habit of fencing their operations and control access to their operations. It takes seconds for machete gangs to access open operations and fighting them off is usually impossible as they pounce unannounced and in large numbers. Should there be no security guards available resting mineworkers can take turns to monitor entry points.
Miners can install a cheap CCTV system to monitor their operations and entry points. In this digital age, CCTV can be monitored remotely on multiple devices. An example is before allowing access to unfamiliar faces at entry points the site manager, foreman or owner can log onto the CCTV and check if they know whoever is at the gates. If they sense trouble they can raise alarm. In case perpetrators breach perimeter fence undetected CCTV can help identify the suspects after they are gone. All this can cost under US$300.
It’s a well know secret that machete gangs get their information from within the targeted operations. The information usually comes from disgruntled workers who will get paid a commission or “cut” for snitching. Some mine owners from all races are known to ill-treat their workers with a number of It’s a well know secret that machete gangs get their information from within the targeted operations. The information usually comes from disgruntled workers who will get paid a commission or “cut” for snitching. Some mine owners from all races are known to ill-treat their workers with a number of videos online of miners physically assaulting workers. This is an excellent recipy for having workers trading inside information.
Miners should hire armed guards who have training in unarmed defence patrolling their areas. The upside of Zimbabwean security companies is the law clearly stipulates they should only be owned by ex-servicemen/ women from the Police, Army or Prison service meaning a security company’s guards can be adequately trained.
On request, Security companies can provide experienced armed personnel who usually succeed in apprehending trespassing elements. Those employed as Guards should have a clean criminal record, vetted by the Police.
Mines are usually located in remote areas. It is an added advantage to have miners familiarise themselves with villagers and village heads and exchange contact numbers. It is highly important to know who’s who as it may be an ordinary villager that may be able to raise alarm when you cannot. The more villagers are familiar with operating miners in their areas the easier it is to notice unfamiliar vehicles and faces. A good example is in the Mukaradzi area where a machete gang was apprehended after miners and locals in the area got suspicious seeing an unfamiliar vehicle and unfamiliar faces prompting the miners to seek Police assistance.
In case of suspicion, the Police are the quickest way to stop a machete attack. These days the Police have WhatsApp hotlines it is highly advisable for anyone venturing into mining to ensure they have contacts to their nearest police station and join local miners’ WhatsApp groups. This makes it easy for Police to pinpoint the location of a distress signal and easy assistance from local miners.
Mount Darwin Police stopped an almost machete victim mine after a quick tip-off. Police responded swiftly, searched the gang of eight and four machetes, four okapi knives were discovered in the boot of a Toyota Wish vehicle they were using. On further interrogation, the gang confessed to being behind the spate of attacks in Shamva, Mazowe and behind the stabbing of soldiers in Bindura. The gang was jailed.
Machete-wielding criminals as we saw with the Ziga machete gang who numbered over 40 outnumber small-scale miners at even the largest operation. If you are outnumbered and not armed it is highly advisable to comply with the gangs.
With the spate of robberies that escalated last year it is important to hire people with a clean criminal record.
Workers should have fingerprints vetted by the Police, produce ID copy and have traceable references. This is a process that the majority of ASM take for granted however with the spat of robberies happening it is of paramount importance that you trust who works for you.
Its common knowledge that evil lurks at night. If you do not have adequate security and lighting working at night increases risk.
Written by Chief Inspector E. Sungiso (retired). He has trained thousands of Police recruits who graduated into full-time servicemen and women. He can be contacted on [email protected]
This article first appeared in the Mining Zimbabwe Magazine February 2020 issue
Great Dyke Investments is in the process of setting up a training school for Artisanal Small Scale Miners at the Darwendale Integrated Platinum Group Metals (PGM) Project.
The school according to the officials will provide training to ASM on how to properly conduct mining. See video below:
EMA speaks on Great Dyke Investments project, the Darwendale Integrated Platinum Group Metals in Norton, Zimbabwe. The Great Dyke Investments mine is expected to be the biggest Platinum miner in Zimbabwe in a few years to come.
Darwendale Integrated Platinum Group Metals (PGM) Project is operated by Great Dyke Investments (Pvt) Ltd, a joint venture established on a 50/50 basis between Russian AO Afromet and the Zimbabwean company.
Darwendale deposit is a part of the Great Dyke in the Republic of Zimbabwe, one of the world’s largest systems of PGM mineralization with shallow dipping of ore bodies. Total resources of the deposit amount 50 mln oz (1,550 t) of PGMs, of which 17.6 mln oz (550 t) have been thoroughly explored and confirmed according to JORC standards.
The Project is earmarked high priority for state and economic relationship between Russia and Zimbabwe. The Intergovernmental agreement has been signed in support of the Project by both Russian and Zimbabwean governments. Moreover, the Special mining lease and the National project status have been granted to Project which fix significant preferences and benefits in accordance with the Zimbabwean law.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi’s bid to put Hwange Colliery under reconstruction hit a snag after the High Court dismissed the move.
Justice David Mangota ruled that Ziyambi failed to justify his move given that a scheme of arrangement which was ratified by the government and other shareholders with a view to salvaging the coal mining firm from collapse, was still operational.
Ziyambi approached the court with the application without consulting other shareholders, saying the problems afflicting the company needed swift action to avert possible liquidation.
In 2018, Ziyambi told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines chaired by Norton legislator Temba Mliswa that the company owed government $150 million and had posted a $23 million loss in the half year to June of the same year.
He then said as Justice minister, the law empowered him to put any company under reconstruction without consulting other shareholders if necessary. But his move was opposed by a trustee of the debenture holders of Hwange and chairman of the court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement, Andrew Lawson and a legal entity called Messina Investments.
Lawson and Messina submitted before Justice Mangota that the reconstruction order sought by Ziyambi was nothing, but a weapon which Mines minister Winston Chitando, had hatched to remove them from Hwange’s board after they had proposed to conduct a forensic audit of its operations.
Lawson and Messina claimed, government through Ziyambi’s sought order, was to run Hwange alone to the exclusion of its other co-owners and as such the application was ill-conceived.
In his lengthy judgment delivered on February 12, Justice Mangota said: “In the absence of a written report from, or by, the Mines and Mining Development ministry, therefore, the minister appears to have issued the order out of nothing.”
Justice Mangota said Ziyambi ought to have proved what he claimed to have been in existence when he issued the reconstruction order.
“He makes allegations about Hwange’s unwholesome circumstances. He should prove what he claims to have been in existence when he issued the order. His failure to prove the presence, in his mind, of the matters which are mentioned in section 4(1) of the Reconstruction Act places his application for confirmation of the order in serious jeopardy,” Justice Mangota said.
In his submission, Ziyambi had presented that his decision was based on section 4(1)(e) of the Reconstruction Act, adding that: “It stipulates that when you do that, you have to inform shareholders and that if in the opinion of the minister it is necessary to avert further harm to creditors of the company, then the minister can take action to put the company under reconstruction without affording shareholders a chance to respond, and I decided to do that at that stage.”
But Justice Mangota ruled against him saying: “The application, it has already been shown, hangs on nothing, the order which the minister issued is premised on nothing. The report of the administrator which was made in glowing terms cannot justify confirmation of the order the issuance of which was/is based on nothing.”
The government has revised upwards mining fees. The notable increase is an ordinary prospecting license which was at 200zwl has been increased to 1000zwl. Special grant increased to zwl5000. Application for an EPO now at zwl 10000.
Please see full document HERE
Minister Chitando was yesterday found in contempt of the High Court and sentenced to 90 days in prison. However, High Court judge, Justice David Mangota gave the minister seven days to comply, failure of which he will serve the full jail term.
The court ordered the minister to ensure the transfer of ownership of some mining claims from North Rand into the name of RioZim, but he did not comply.
Below are the full court documents as first shared by Professor Jonathan Moyo.
Folks worry not about the date that appears to be 13th February 2019. The order was granted today (this afternoon). So the handwritten date is correct regarding the date, and month but not regarding the year (in print) which is when the case was filed! pic.twitter.com/UyFRIBZ50D
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) February 13, 2020
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