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Drilling to begin next year in Muzarabani

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Drilling to begin next year in Muzarabani

ONE Gas Resources, the exploration partner of Invictus Energy Ltd in Zimbabwe’s Muzarabani district, expects drilling to begin in the second half of next year, targeting an estimated 1.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent and about 9.25 trillion cubic feet of gas.

“The planned well will cost anywhere between $15 million and $20 million and we will probably drill to a maximum of 3.5 kilometres,” One

Gas executive chairman, Mr Paul Chimbodza, said by email. The Muzarabani prospect could be “almost at par” with Total SA’s offshore Brulpadda oil discovery in South Africa and Exxon Mobil Corp.’s gas project off Cyprus, he said.

One Gas holds a 20 per cent stake in the Muzarabani venture, with the balance owned by Invictus. While the potential oil and gas deposits in the north of Zimbabwe could be a boost for the Government of President Mnangagwa, they are close to Mana Pools National Park — a World Heritage Site — and the Zambezi River, potentially sparking objections from environmental groups. — Bloomberg

Illegal mining destroying Chivero

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Illegal mining destroying Chivero

Zimbabwe’s largest inland man-made dam, Lake Chivero is under siege from artisanal miners who are threatening the survival of one of the largest tourist attraction centres in Harare, Zimbabwe.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The city of Harare has laid several complains that the activities of these artisanal miners along Lake Chivero mountain are causing a lot of environmental problems like land degradation and water population.

The Mayor of Harare Mr Hebert Gomba told Mining Zimbabwe that the City Council had called on the Harare Metropolitan province Minister to look into the issue in order to safeguard the lake.

Mr Gomba said that the minister will assist the city council with police officers who will intercede in the protection of the area from illegal mining activities around the land.

“I have asked the Provincial Minister to help us with police to protect Chivero dam, which is under siege from these miners, the mountain is a wall that protects our dam.

Besides, mining uses mercury and other dangerous substances which if gets into water will kill our people, this must be stopped …” said Mayor Gomba.

Recently Chegutu West House of assembly constituency representative Hon Dexter Nduna had called on the government to legalize the artisanal mining sector or risk environmental problems with these miners because they won’t stop mining illegally.

EMA fees reduced to 300 RTGS per annum

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EMA fees reduced to 300 RTGS per annum

The EMA has reduced annual fees to 300RTGS. The reduction of EMA fees has come after miners raised concern that the fees they were paying to EMA where exorbitant.  This led Zimbabwe Miners Federation President Henrietta Rushwaya to call for a meeting with EMA in order to map a conducive environment for miners.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking on behalf of the EMA President Mupfumira said that the launch of the environmental management plan is there to put to fruition the mantra “Zimbabwe is Open for business”

“Let us ease and make the country conducive for business,” she said.

Mupfura also said that EMA fees were very heavy on Miners, therefore, her Ministry through the Ministry of Mines, after ZMF call, discovered that consultants were reaping off miners hence the introduction of one EMA which will cost $300.

“We want all miners to fill in EMA forms for just 300 rtsgs per annum,” said Mupfumira.

Mupfumira also urged small scale miners to have a mutual relationship with EMA to avoid accidents which were taking place in the mining sector because miners and EMA were operating in hide and seek.

“We want EMA to have a mutual relationship with the artisanal miners and not to work like cat and mouse,” said Mupfumira

Gold production target likely not be reached

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Gold production target likely not be reached

The targeted gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refiners of 40 tonnes might not be reached. This was according to Deputy Minister of Mines Hon Polite Kambamura.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The Deputy Minister said that the gold target set by the government might not be reached considering the delivery so far. However, the Minister was optimistic that delivery to Fidelity might be boosted since the government is employing measures to boost production.

“In January 1.77 tonnes was delivered instead of +2.3 tonnes of gold, we might not reach our gold target,” said Kambamura.

Last year small scale miners accounted for over 70 per cent of the gold delivered to Fidelity, thus disputes arising in the small scale mining sector are delaying production therefore according to Kambamura, his ministry is going to set up a dispute management team in order to ease mining.

According to the Deputy Minister, the government is creating gold centres were miners will receive the true value of their gold production, also, in these centres according to the Minister, miners will receive equipment thus increasing production.

“The government is also working towards gold centres, miners in those areas will receive equipment such as Jackhammers, explosives”, said the Deputy Minister.

Kambamura also said that the government is working towards selling explosives in local currency in order to reduce foreign currency spending.

“We are going to sell Explosives at those gold centres in local currency,” said Kambamura.

The Deputy Minister also said that at the gold centres, the government will employ Geologists who are going to provide information on minerals that are found at miners gold claims apart from the gold itself.

“We are also going to deploy geologist in order to empower miners of minerals knowledge,” said Kambamura

The Deputy Minister said that the government is looking into reviewing mining laws in order to recognise artisanal miners for them to operate freely.

“As government, we want to review mining laws into order to recognise the small scale miners. If small scale miners are recognized, it will be easy for them to access fans” said Kambamura.

Persecuting artisanal miners is biting the hand that’s feeds us

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Persecuting artisanal miners is biting the hand that’s feeds us

Chegutu West member of Parliament Dexter Nduna has called on the government to legalise the informal mining sector in order to boost deliveries to the country’s sole gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR) and also to protect the environment from illegal digging.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Nduna said that criminalising the artisanal mining sector will not help the country but fuel gold leakages and environmental degradations.

“These miners will not stop mining, they’re getting what they can and caning what they get at the detriment of the Environment. The year that artisanal mining was banned, gold deliveries to Fidelity declined” said Nduna.

Nduna called on the government to stop persecuting artisanal miners until the mines law the government is working on is enacted, Nduna also said that the miners must not be arrested when taking their gold to fidelity.

“Let small scale miners be immune to arrest when they sell their gold. Artisanal miners have become a playground for corrupt police, artisanal miners should not be arrested until mines law is enacted” said Nduna.

Nduna also urged the government to implement the ” use it or lose it” policy in order to benefit these artisanal miners.

“These claims are owned by foreign conglomerate companies and are held for speculative purposes, take them and give them to artisanal miners,” said Nduna.

Nduna also said that since small scale and artisanal miners are delivering much gold than the large scale to the government, the government must recognise and support them, by persecuting them, the country is biting the hand that feeds it.

“Let us recognise artisanal miners, we are biting the hand that feeds us,” he said.

The Chegutu MP also encouraged the government to offer loans to these miners.

“The gold they’re delivering to fidelity should be security,” Nduna said.

Mupfumira urges miners to embrace local currency.

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Mupfumira urges miners to embrace local currency.

The Minister of Environment, Hon Priscilla Mupfumira has urged miners to support the government by embracing the Zimbabwean dollar for all local transactions and drop their ideas about the USD which is destructive for the growth of the economy of Zimbabwe.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Speaking at the Environmental Impact Assessment launch, the honourable minister said that prices of goods and services are going to be reduced, this will have a positive impact on the miner’s operations.

“Prices are going to decrease, the black mining forex trade has lost control of igniting inflation, this will have a positive change on the country’s production sector,” she said.

Mupfumira also discouraged miners from thinking in the United States currency as the currency is not ours but America’s. She said miners should thank the president and the finance minister for taking this step of introducing a local currency to support local transactions.

” the USD is from America, let us embrace the government decision, let us thank the president and the minister of finance,” she said.

The call by Mupfumira has come after miners were reportedly advocating that they should receive all their money in foreign currency since almost 90 per cent and above of their operations require foreign currency.

Mashurugwi terrorism has declined in Kadoma

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Mashurugwi terrorism has declined in Kadoma

Speaking at the Environmental Impact Assessment launch held in Kadoma last week, Kadoma West house of assembly Constituency member Hon A Nkayi said Machetes miners notorious for terrorising communities have declined in number and popularity in Kadoma.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Hon Nkayi who was the host Member of Parliament at the event held at Kwayedza School Patchway said that terrorism by the so-called “Mashurugwi” has declined. He also encouraged artisanal miners to desist from terrorising people as the long arm of the law will always catch up to them.

“Let us use machetes for clearing the land, it is not a good thing for us artisanal miners to use machetes as this will tarnish our image” said Hon Nkayi.

Nkayi also bemoaned the issue of EPOs and unused claims saying it is giving rise to illegal mining. He urged the government to give all unused claims to artisanal miners in order to boost production.

“The issue of epos is very destructive. My people are complaining because of these EPOs. The government must give artisanal miners these claims held for speculative purpose in order to boost production” he said.

Nkayi also said that the government should talk to large scale miners for them to offer tributary mining claims to small scale miners.

“There also people who are not using their claims and are refusing to offer tributaries to local aspiring miners the government should put a policy that encourages large scale mines to offer tributary mining claims to small scale miners,” said Nkayi.

Rushwaya retains ZMF Presidency

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Rushwaya retains ZMF Presidency

Henrietta Rushwaya has retained the ZMF Presidency a few days after a supreme court appeal that had been dismissed on technicalities.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Rushwaya earlier lost the Presidency through a High court ruling which favoured Zvishavane-Mberengwa Miners Association who accused Rushwaya of clinging to the top post through unorthodox means.

Rushwaya then appealed to the supreme court, automatically she retained the top post as her appeal had been dismissed because her lawyers did not go to inspect the record hence the dismissal.

“Reference is made to the notice of appeal you filed on April 4, 2019. It is noted that you did not comply with Rule 17(11) for the inspection of record with the stipulated time in terms of the Supreme Court Rules, 2018. In terms of sub-rule 17 (12) of the aforementioned Rules the appeal is deemed to have been abandoned and therefore dismissed.” read the supreme court judgement that had thrown her case away.

Rushwaya will continue at the helm of the ZMF until supreme court ruling.

100 percent forex retention to gold miners bad for the economy

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100 percent forex retention to gold miners bad for the economy

The government gazetted on the 24th of June 2019 the Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019 in which banned the use of foreign currency for any transactions within Zimbabwe. However, miners were exempted from the policy citing a genesis of high-level mineral leakage.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

In 2018 Zimbabwe imported US$6.3 billion worth of goods from international suppliers, down -1.9 per cent since 2014 but up 26.1 per cent from 2017 with mining machinery such as bulldozers, excavators, road rollers munching US$76.9 million 106 per cent from 2017, mining machinery parts were at $43.4 million up 27.8 per cent from 2017. Since Zimbabwe is not producing any equipment, mining operations require foreign currency since most of the equipment they use is sourced outside Zimbabwe. The operation of mines requires from 70-90 per cent foreign currency which means that at the moment in time miners should be paid in some of their returns in foreign currency to improve the industry.

Withdrawing foreign currency from miners is not advisable and it is catastrophic to the performance and improvement of the economy of Zimbabwe. The measures would be self-destructive and regrettable, however, giving miners 100 per cent foreign currency retention is also not advisable and may lead to the flooding of black market foreign currency trading since some miners were part of the group accused of funding the operations of the illegal foreign currency dealings.

Despite the banning of foreign currency transactions within Zimbabwe, miners have been clamouring to receive 100 per cent forex retention from the country’s sole gold buyer and exporter, Fidelity Printers and Refiners.

Chinese firm vows to respect workers’ rights

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Chinese firm vows to respect workers’ rights

China Aihua Jianye P/L a Chinese firm that is going to operate (Quarry extraction) in Domboshava has vowed that they were going to work differently from what other Chinese firms are allegedly doing.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

Chinese firms, especially in the Mining sector, have been lambasted over their alleged ill-treating their employees, extremely poor salaries, not providing protective clothing, not respecting environmental laws and externalising funds amongst others.

However, speaking to Mining Zimbabwe China Aihua Jianye Director Mr Liu Wei said that once the company began its operations, they will engage its employees in order to reach a mutual agreement with them.

“We will do our business respecting the laws of Zimbabwe and we are willing to negotiate with our workers in order to operate in a friendly environment,” said Mr Wei.

Mr Wei also said that his company will prioritise the safety of its workers and as such the company will provide its workers with all required technical know-how of operating mining machines, provide them with safety clothing and decent accommodation.

“We will send our workers on courses to equip them in the operation of mining machinery and of course healthy and safety is our main priority,” he said.

The China Aihua Jianye boss also said his company will is going to develop the area where it is located and has assured the community that their operations will not be noisy and dusty as the company has acquired the latest machinery from China that is noise free and penetrates in the ground smoothly.

“We are going to assist locals in building better roads, schools and social areas, above all, we are going to employ people of that community. Our equipment is modern equipment from China and will make the lowest noise and dust” he said.

The company also said that they will invest in more projects such as brick making and other building materials which will assist the Domboshava community.

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