Home Blog Page 95

Today’s gold buying prices per gram/ ounce

Mining
-
0
Today’s gold buying prices per gram/ ounce

Gold buying prices in Zimbabwe today, 17 September 2025, from the official gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR).

CategoryPrice (US$/g)Price (US$/oz t)
SG 90% and ABOVE112.27$3,491.99
SG >89% <90%111.08$3,454.97
SG >80% <85%109.89$3,417.96
SG >75% <80%108.71$3,381.26
Sample 5–10g106.92$3,325.58

 

Fire Assay CASH $112.86/g and US$3,510.79/oz

NB: Fire Assay cash price is for gold above 100g; no sample is deducted.

A sample of not more than 10g is deducted for the Fire Assay Transfer price

Beyond Minerals’ Glitter Lies Devastation if Mining Activities Remain Unchecked

Mining
-
0
Beyond Minerals’ Glitter Lies Devastation if Mining Activities Remain Unchecked

In the relentless pursuit of mineral wealth, the line between prosperity and peril is often crossed. While mining is the undeniable backbone of the Zimbabwean economy, contributing over 50% to the GDP and 60% of export earnings, its shadow side—unregulated and irresponsible extraction—poses an existential threat to the nation’s ecological and social fabric, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

As highlighted by Hon. Judith Ncube in her opening remarks at the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI) 2025, the consequences of unchecked mining are not abstract concerns; they are stark realities already devastating communities and landscapes across the country.

The most immediate and visible impact of unregulated mining is environmental degradation on a catastrophic scale. Hon. Ncube’s poignant observation that “some of our communities… are without rivers anymore” is a chilling testament to this reality. Unregulated operations, particularly in riverbeds, lead to extensive siltation and pollution. Mercury and cyanide, used in the processing of gold, leach into water systems, poisoning aquatic life and rendering water unsafe for human consumption, irrigation, and livestock. The destruction of river ecosystems disrupts entire watersheds, leading to long-term water scarcity that far outlasts the temporary boom of a mining rush.

Beyond water pollution, the landscape itself is scarred. Uncontrolled mining operations leave behind a pockmarked terrain of open, unrehabilitated pits. These pits become death traps for wildlife and livestock and pose severe safety risks to local communities, especially children. Deforestation is another critical issue, as miners clear vast tracts of land for operations and settlements, leading to habitat loss and soil erosion. The removal of vegetation cover destabilizes the land, increasing the risk of landslides and further siltation of waterways. The land, once capable of sustaining agriculture and biodiversity, is left barren and useless.

The fallout from unregulated mining extends deep into the social and economic structures of communities, often fuelling conflict and instability. The promise of quick wealth leads to massive migrations into mining areas, placing immense strain on local resources and infrastructure. This influx can lead to conflicts between newcomers and indigenous communities, between miners and farmers over land and water rights, and between different mining syndicates vying for control of lucrative claims. This environment of competition and lawlessness is a breeding ground for violence, crime, and the erosion of traditional social structures.

Furthermore, the economic benefits from such operations are often illusory for the host communities. While a few individuals may profit, the vast majority are left to grapple with the long-term costs: contaminated water, degraded farmland, and broken social cohesion. The community’s primary, sustainable livelihoods—farming and fishing—are destroyed, leaving them more vulnerable and economically dependent than before the miners arrived. This creates a cycle of poverty and desperation that is difficult to break.

The health implications are another dire consequence. Miners working without proper safety equipment are exposed to dust, toxic chemicals, and the constant risk of tunnel collapses. Respiratory diseases like silicosis, mercury poisoning, and high rates of injury and death are common. These health crises place additional burdens on already under-resourced local clinics and families who lose their breadwinners.

Hon. Ncube’s reference to the government’s recent ban on riverbed mining and the Responsible Mining Initiative is a direct response to this crisis. It acknowledges that the cost of unregulated mining is simply too high. The enforcement of environmental regulations and the promotion of responsible practices are not anti-development; they are fundamental to sustainable development. They ensure that the wealth extracted from the ground does not come at the expense of the very resources—water, land, and community health—that are essential for the nation’s long-term survival and prosperity.

The message from ZAMI 2025 is clear: the path forward must be one of order, responsibility, and accountability. The glitter of gold must not blind us to the irreversible cost of chaos.

Uzumba RDC Circumvents Parliament with New Mining Regulations Disguised as Environmental By-Laws

Mining
-
0
Uzumba RDC Circumvents Parliament with New Mining Regulations Disguised as Environmental By-Laws

Just weeks after Parliament revoked its illegal attempt to tax and regulate miners, the Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe Zvataida Rural District Council (UMP RDC) has engineered a fresh and sophisticated strategy to control the mining sector, embedding restrictive measures within a new set of environmental by-laws.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

This move, detailed in Statutory Instrument 83 of 2025, represents a deliberate effort to circumvent the clear ruling of the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC), which in August declared the council’s previous mining-specific by-laws (S.I. 75 of 2025) ultra vires — or beyond its legal power. The PLC had unequivocally stated that the power to levy and permit miners rests solely with the national Minister of Mines, not local councils.

Rather than retreating, the UMP RDC has now woven a complex web of environmental regulations that effectively create a duplicate, local-layer bureaucracy specifically for mining companies. This new framework, while ostensibly focused on conservation, is designed to bring miners under the council’s authority, imposing new submission requirements, hefty fines, and a significant risk of regulatory contradiction that could paralyse operations.

The Core of the Legal Overreach

The primary flaw in UMP RDC’s strategy lies in a fundamental misunderstanding of legal mandate. In Zimbabwe’s legal system, a local authority is a creature of statute. It only possesses powers explicitly delegated to it by an Act of Parliament, such as the Rural District Councils Act or the Environmental Management Act (EMA). It cannot simply invent new powers, especially in an area already comprehensively occupied by a specific national law.

The Mines and Minerals Act is a complete and self-contained code for mining. It establishes a detailed system from prospecting to closure, including environmental management. It designates specific national authorities — the Mining Commissioner, the Secretary for Mines, and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) — to oversee these processes.

Nowhere in this national framework is the UMP RDC, or any RDC, named as a regulatory body for mining. By inserting itself into this process, the council is acting without a legal mandate.

  1. The Illegality of the “Submission” Requirement: Section 38(2) and (3) of S.I. 83 states:

    (2) All holders of prospecting, exploration and mining rights operating in the council area shall submit copies of their licences to council.
    (3) Any holder of a prospecting, exploration or mining right operating in the council area without submitting a copy of their licence to council shall be liable to a fine specified in the Third Schedule.

    This is the most blatant overreach. The obligation to “submit” a licence implies a right to receive and process it. The Mines and Minerals Act does not create this obligation. A mining title issued by the Ministry of Mines is valid across Zimbabwe. It does not require endorsement, registration, or submission to a local council for validation. By creating this new step and attaching a financial penalty (a $1,000 fine, as per the Third Schedule) for non-compliance, the UMP RDC is effectively creating a de facto local permitting system. They are punishing miners for not following a procedure that exists only in their by-laws, not in national law. This is a clear usurpation of the Minister of Mines’ authority.

  2. Duplicative and Onerous Environmental Reporting: Section 10 of the by-laws demands that project developers (explicitly including miners) submit a full suite of environmental documents to the council, including:

    • Copies of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report

    • The EIA Certificate issued by the EMA

    • The annual Environmental Management Plan (EMP)

    Failure to do so carries a massive penalty of $5,000 per inspection.

    This is duplicative, unnecessary, and burdensome. The EMA is the national body mandated by the Environmental Management Act to receive, approve, and monitor these exact documents. The entire EIA process, including public consultations, is already overseen by the EMA. The council’s demand for copies is not for “information” but for enforcement. It gives them a pretext to inspect and fine miners based on their own interpretation of documents already approved by the competent national authority. This creates a high risk of contradictory directives between the EMA and the RDC, paralysing operations.

  3. The Council as Environmental Enforcer: A Mandate it Doesn’t Possess
    Sections 11 and 12 of the by-laws empower the council to monitor rehabilitation plans and even carry out rehabilitation works itself, charging the cost back to the miner or landowner.

    While environmental rehabilitation is crucial, the primary legal authority for enforcing this against miners again lies with the EMA, as per the Environmental Management Act. The EMA has the technical capacity and the national mandate. The council’s role should be collaborative, reporting violations to the EMA, not unilateral. By positioning itself as the primary enforcer of mining environmental standards, the council is again stepping into a role Parliament assigned to a national body.

A Recipe for Regulatory Chaos and Extortion

The practical consequence of this overreach is not environmental protection but regulatory chaos. It creates a dual system that is unsustainable for miners:

  • Double Jeopardy: A miner could be in full compliance with the Ministry of Mines and the EMA but still be fined by the UMP RDC for violating a local by-law that imposes stricter or different requirements. For example, their EMA-approved EMP might not satisfy a local councillor.

  • Increased Cost of Doing Business: The new fines and fees (e.g., $2,000 for EIA consultation with the council) represent a new tax on mining, increasing operational costs and discouraging investment, especially for small-scale and artisanal miners who are least able to bear them.

  • Bureaucratic Bottlenecks: Operations could be halted not by the EMA or the Mining Commissioner, but by a local official demanding paperwork that the national law does not require.

  • Potential for Abuse: Such vague and expansive local powers can easily be abused for rent-seeking behaviour, where compliance is negotiated rather than based on the law.

A Solution in Search of a Problem

The UMP RDC’s concerns about environmental degradation from mining are likely valid. However, the solution does not lie in enacting legally dubious bylaws that duplicate existing national frameworks.

The correct and legal path is twofold:

  1. Collaboration, Not Regulation: The council must use existing channels. It can formally lobby the EMA and the Ministry of Mines to strengthen enforcement in their district. It can report violations directly to these bodies, which have the full legal power to act.

  2. Use Actual Mandated Powers: The council should focus its energies on its undisputed mandates under the RDC Act: waste management, land-use planning (grazing, cultivation), and protecting wetlands from non-mining activities. Its new by-laws are overwhelmingly focused on these areas and are on solid legal ground there.

Until the UMP RDC recognises that its authority stops at the mine gate, and that its role is to partner with national agencies rather than attempt to regulate them, it will continue to enact legislation that is vulnerable to legal challenge, creates uncertainty, and ultimately hinders both economic activity and genuine environmental protection. The precedent set by S.I. 83, if unchallenged, invites every other RDC in Zimbabwe to create their own patchwork of mining regulations, effectively dismantling the national mining policy and creating a regulatory nightmare of epic proportions.

Ministry of Mines Sets Up Gender Desk to Promote Inclusive Mining Policies

Mining
-
0
Ministry of Mines Sets Up Gender Desk to Promote Inclusive Mining Policies

The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has set up the Department of Gender Mainstreaming, Inclusivity and Wellness, a new unit created to ensure that women — long underrepresented in mining — are fairly included in all aspects of the sector, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Government Mining Engineer Eng. T. Paswavaviri at a Gender Equality and ASM Capacity Building and Strategy Workshop in Harare, led by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), an organisation which assists governments in developing sustainable and inclusive mining policies.

This new department comes at a critical time for women in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector who continue facing challenges such as limited access to finance, unsafe working conditions, and exclusion from decision-making.

Women are a key part of Zimbabwe’s ASM sector but remain underrepresented in policy. The sector employs around 535,000 people, with women making up 10–15% (53,000–80,000) of the workforce, according to the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation and Delve Database.

Across SADC, women account for 40–50% of ASM workers, underscoring the need for initiatives like the new Department of Gender Mainstreaming, Inclusivity and Wellness and the SADC White Paper on Gender and ASM to address barriers and improve inclusion.

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy CGME Eng. Paswavaviri said the department will ensure gender considerations are fully integrated into mining policy, programmes, and regulations as they gather valuable intelligence from the IGF workshop and the subsequent SADC Policy Framework.

“The department’s mandate is to directly address the unique challenges faced by women in mining — from access to finance and equipment to protection from discrimination and violence. Therefore, this workshop is not just theoretical; it is directly aligned with our operational priorities. The insights we will gain on the barriers women face in ASM, the link between formalisation and gender equality, and the critical issues of health and safety will provide essential, actionable intelligence for our new Department,” Eng. Paswavaviri said.

The workshop brought together women miners from across Southern Africa, including the Zimbabwe Artisanal and Small-Scale Women Miners Association (ZASWM) and the SADC Women in Mining.

Led by IGF, participants are developing a SADC White Paper on Gender and ASM, which will guide a regional policy framework and gender-inclusive reforms across member states.

“This initiative strengthens the valued partnership between Zimbabwe and the IGF. It demonstrates a shared commitment to ensuring our mineral wealth translates into improved well-being for all our people, especially women. The insights from the SADC regional framework — including the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, the Revised Protocol on Gender and Development, and the SADC Mining Protocol — will guide our new Department in aligning national policies with regional gender equality goals,” Eng. Paswavaviri said as he commended IGF efforts.

IGF is a 68-member intergovernmental body that provides technical assistance and policy reviews free of charge, helping governments strengthen mining governance and close policy gaps.

This move marks a significant step toward institutionalising gender equality in Zimbabwe’s mining industry and could become a model for other SADC countries.

How Bikita Minerals’ Novel Cesium Flotation Circuit is Redefining Profitability in a Soft Market

Mining
-
0
How Bikita Minerals’ Novel Cesium Flotation Circuit is Redefining Profitability in a Soft Market

In the face of softening global prices for traditional minerals like lithium, Sinomine-owned Bikita Minerals has engineered a remarkable buffer against market volatility. The key to its resilience lies not in a new mine, but in a sophisticated, multi-stage metallurgical strategy focused on reprocessing historical waste dumps to extract a critical and high-value mineral: cesium.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

This innovative approach was detailed in a comprehensive technical presentation by Thomas Mupfumi, Senior Metallurgist at Bikita Minerals, during a recent Association of Mine Managers of Zimbabwe (AMMZ) visit. His explanation revealed a plant flowsheet of exceptional complexity and ingenuity, designed to economically liberate cesium from a previously discarded feedstock.

The story begins not with the new plant, but with the old. For decades, Bikita Minerals’ primary cash cow was petalite, a lithium-bearing mineral. The extraction process relied on Dense Media Separation (DMS), which leverages the differences in specific gravity (SG) between minerals.

“As our geologists indicated, our ore bodies were an assortment of minerals,” explained Mupfumi. “The key minerals of value are the spodumene [lithium], the petalite [lithium], and then there’s pollucite [cesium].”

In the DMS circuit, the target mineral, petalite, is a “light” fraction with a lower SG, reporting to the float product. The sink product—the heavier material—contained other valuable minerals like spodumene (SG ~2.7-3.2), lepidolite (lithium mica, SG ~2.8-3.0), and most importantly, pollucite (cesium, SG ~2.7-2.9). For years, this sink stream, deemed uneconomical to process further at the time, was stockpiled in vast dumps.

“Time immemorial, the major cash cow for Bikita Minerals is the petalite,” Mupfumi stated. “So you realise that we have got huge stockpiles of waste material that was left over after recovering petalite.”

This “waste” material became the foundation for a new business model. The new investors at Bikita (Sinomine) conducted extensive metallurgical feasibility studies on these dumps, recognizing their latent, marginal value. The challenge was metallurgical: how to separate and concentrate these minerals, particularly the low-grade pollucite, into a high-value, marketable product.

A Novel Three-Stage Concentration Circuit

The solution is a bespoke cesium flotation plant that Mupfumi described as “a novel processing setup… because there’s no other plant in the world which can recover very, very low grade pollucite and enrich it to the extent that this flotation plant is enriching.”

The feed for this novel circuit is not raw ore, but a pre-concentrated stream. The historical dump material is first retreated through the existing DMS plant. This “recycle” stage serves to marginally increase the content of pollucite and spodumene in the sink stream, creating a more suitable feed for the flotation circuit.

The heart of the operation is the flotation plant itself, a complex and sequential process designed to separate minerals based on their surface chemistry. Mupfumi detailed a three-stage recovery process:

  1. Stage 1: Lepidolite (Mica) Recovery: The first stage is a bulk flotation process designed to recover micaceous minerals. “At the first stage of recovery, lepidolite is indicated on the flotation diagram,” Mupfumi noted. In this step, reagents are added to make the mica minerals hydrophobic (water-repelling). Air is bubbled through the pulp, and the hydrophobic mica particles attach to the bubbles and are skimmed off as a froth product. This step removes a significant portion of the lepidolite, simplifying the feed for subsequent stages. The tailings from this cell, now enriched in spodumene and pollucite, proceed to the next stage.

  2. Stage 2: Spodumene Recovery: The circuit then switches to target spodumene. Through a different reagent scheme, the spodumene is made hydrophobic and is recovered in the froth phase. “Spodumene is now reporting in the froth phase,” Mupfumi said. This spodumene concentrate represents a second revenue stream, adding lithium production from the historical waste. Critically, the valuable pollucite remains in the tailings stream of this stage. “The tailings stream now, that’s where you’re going to imagine our increased enrichment of your pollucite.”

  3. Stage 3: Pollucite (Cesium) Recovery: The final stage is the most technically fascinating, described by Mupfumi as “entirely a waste flotation process.” The tailings from the spodumene circuit, now highly enriched in pollucite, are fed to the cesium recovery circuit. Here, the goal is to remove the remaining gangue (waste) minerals to leave a pure pollucite concentrate.
    · First, any remnant mica that escaped the first stage is scraped off.
    · Second, dominant gangue minerals like feldspar and quartz are targeted and removed in the froth phase. “You are now targeting your feldspars, removing them as waste.”
    · The final product, the premium pollucite concentrate, reports to the tailings stream of this flotation cell. “The product now is falling within the tailings stream of the flotation cell. That is where you are getting your cesium.”

Remarkable Metallurgical Performance: Turning 0.12% into Profit

The efficacy of this circuit is demonstrated by its stunning enrichment ratio. Mupfumi provided specific figures that highlight its world-class performance:

· Feed Grade: The material feeding the cesium plant averages a mere 0.12% Cesium Oxide (Cs₂O). This is an exceptionally low grade, making economic recovery seem improbable with conventional methods.
· Final Concentrate Grade: The novel flotation circuit upgrades this to a concentrate grading between 3% to 5% Cs₂O.
· Enrichment Ratio: This represents an enrichment ratio of approximately 25 to 40 times. “In terms of mineral processing, it’s a very high enrichment ratio,” Mupfumi emphasized.

This ability to economically process such a low-grade feed is the cornerstone of the operation’s profitability. Pollucite is the principal ore of cesium, a metal whose unique properties—it is the most electropositive and one of the least abundant stable elements—make it extremely valuable in specialized applications. These include:

· Oil and Gas Drilling Fluids: Cesium formate brines are used in high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) drilling operations due to their high density and environmental acceptability.
· Atomic Clocks: Cesium is the “pendulum” in atomic clocks, providing the definition of the second.
· Photoelectric Cells and IR Lamps: Used in night-vision devices and other optical applications.
· Medical and Research Applications: Used in radiation therapy and certain types of catalysis.

This niche demand and limited global supply ensure cesium commands a consistently high price, often orders of magnitude higher than lithium or tin, providing a robust shield against softer prices in other commodity markets.

A Strategic Vision for Inclusivity and Knowledge Transfer

The decision to host the AMMZ technical visit at Bikita Minerals and provide such a transparent technical briefing aligns with a broader strategic vision for the Zimbabwean mining sector, a vision passionately championed by industry leaders like Gift Mapakame, General Manager of Shamva Mine.

During the visit, Mapakame issued a powerful call for greater integration and knowledge exchange, specifically urging major Chinese-invested operations like Bikita to join the AMMZ. His words resonate deeply in the context of Bikita’s technical achievement.

“As an association, we have deliberately planned to interact and engage with the Chinese-invested operations that are in the country,” Mapakame stated. He identified a “major gap” in inclusivity, noting that while Chinese investment brings significant technology and skills, it often remains isolated from local institutions. “It’s coming with technology, it is coming with skills. All those things are just hanging out there and we are unable to actually harness those new establishments.”

Bikita Minerals’ presentation, in its technical depth and openness, can be seen as a direct response to this call. By showcasing their novel cesium flotation technology, they are not just explaining a process; they are demonstrating the very “proprietary knowledge” that Mapakame believes should be shared to elevate the entire national mining industry.

A Blueprint for Resilience

Bikita Minerals has provided a masterclass in modern mineral processing and strategic business planning. By applying advanced, proprietary metallurgical expertise to legacy waste streams, they have:

  1. Unlocked a new, high-value revenue stream (cesium) that insulates them from volatility in lithium markets.

  2. Maximized resource efficiency by extracting full value from historical operations, effectively making the mine’s waste a primary ore body.

  3. Demonstrated world-class innovation in designing a flotation circuit capable of economic recovery from a feed grade most operations would consider barren.

  4. Positioned Zimbabwe as a center of technical excellence for critical mineral processing.

The success of this circuit underscores a critical lesson for the global mining industry: profitability in the 21st century may depend less on discovering new giant ore deposits and more on innovatively and efficiently processing what has already been found. For Zimbabwe, the integration of this advanced technological knowledge into the broader fabric of its mining community, as advocated by leaders like Gift Mapakame, promises a more resilient, innovative, and prosperous future for the entire sector.

Mine Entra 2025 to Focus on Measurable Business Outcomes Amid Sector Challenges

Mining
-
0
Mine Entra 2025 to Focus on Measurable Business Outcomes Amid Sector Challenges

The Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, organisers of the country’s premier Mining, Engineering and Transport Expo (Mine Entra), say this year’s event will put measurable business outcomes at the heart of its agenda, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

The 28th edition comes at a challenging time for Zimbabwe’s mining sector, which is navigating subdued production levels, volatile commodity prices, and increasing calls for sustainable practices.

Nick Ndebele, CEO of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Company (ZITF), told Mining Zimbabwe that lessons from last year’s edition have informed a sharper, more results-focused approach for the upcoming expo.

“…Learning from last year, it also became clear that technology and sustainability are no longer peripheral issues; they are now central to the sector’s future. Equally, the market reminded us to stay closely attuned to prevailing realities. Low output levels, fluctuating commodity prices, and shifting priorities underscore the need for an event that delivers measurable business outcomes,” Ndebele said.

Meanwhile, preparations for the 2025 Mine Entra are already well underway, following an aggressive marketing and promotional campaign that has generated an enthusiastic response from stakeholders.

Organisers say the strong uptake confirms the event’s standing as the go-to marketplace for mining industry players seeking tangible value.

This year’s edition will run under the theme “Beyond Extraction: Sustaining the Future of Mining,” which places stronger emphasis on sustainability, innovation, and community impact.

Exhibits and discussions will highlight green technologies, the energy transition, ESG principles, digital transformation, automation, and policy and regulatory innovation — all designed to provide actionable insights for the sector.

By focusing on measurable outcomes and aligning with the industry’s shift toward responsible, future-focused mining, the 28th edition of Mine Entra aims to move beyond being a traditional trade fair and become a strategic forum where stakeholders can build partnerships, strike deals, and shape the direction of Zimbabwe’s mining sector.

The event is shaping up to be larger and more internationally connected than ever before, building on last year’s strong performance. Mine Entra 2024 attracted 289 exhibitors — a 41 per cent increase from 2023 — including 23 international companies from four countries.

This 91 per cent jump in foreign participation highlighted the exhibition’s growing reputation as a hub for mining investment and cross-border engagement. The numbers suggest that this year could see even broader international involvement, reflecting Zimbabwe’s rising profile in regional and global mining markets.

FIU Calls for Mines Ministry Capacitation to Plug Gold Leakages and Tighten Oversight

Mining
-
0
FIU Calls for Mines Ministry Capacitation to Plug Gold Leakages and Tighten Oversight

The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Zimbabwe has called for greater capacitation of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to help curb rampant gold smuggling and strengthen enforcement of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) rules, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Ryan Chigoche

This follows findings from the FIU’s 2024 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment: Summary of Findings, which rated money laundering risks in the precious metals and stones sector as “medium-high,” with both threat and vulnerability levels assessed similarly.

The report revealed that gold smuggling remained high between 2019 and 2023, exposing the sector to funds from illicit sources, while awareness of AML/CFT obligations among sector players was found to be relatively low.

Zimbabwe faces significant challenges with mineral smuggling, particularly involving gold and lithium, which drain substantial state revenue. Gold smuggling alone is estimated to cost the country at least US$200 million annually, driven by organized syndicates and weak enforcement.

The FIU has highlighted the mining sector’s low AML/CFT awareness, prompting recommendations to capacitate the Ministry of Mines, strengthen controls, tighten border security, and enhance collaborative enforcement to curb illicit mineral trade and protect national resources.

With smuggling rife and the ministry struggling to enforce regulations, the FIU in its recommendations laid out clear steps for Zimbabwe to tighten oversight and plug the leaks in the mining sector:

“We recommend capacitating the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, as the licensing authority for gold dealers, to enable it to effectively carry out its AML/CFT supervisory responsibilities. Controls should be strengthened to prevent gold leakages in the sector, and gold should be traded only through licensed and regulated dealers. We further recommend tightening controls at ports of entry, exit, and along border lines, and enhancing enforcement of sanctions for AML/CFT breaches through close collaboration between the FIU, the Ministry of Mines, and the ZRP Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Minerals Flora and Fauna Unit (MFFU),” the FIU said.

However, the ministry’s ability to act on these recommendations could be hampered by limited resources.

For the 2025 fiscal year, it was allocated approximately ZWL664.8 million (about US$22.16 million), representing just 0.3% of the national budget.

This modest allocation restricts essential activities such as inspections, audits, and the development of critical infrastructure, including metallurgical laboratories, limiting the ministry’s effectiveness in regulating the sector and curbing mineral smuggling.

In a rapidly evolving global financial landscape, combating money laundering and terrorist financing remains a critical priority.

“The assessment provides a comprehensive evaluation of the money laundering threats facing the country as well as identifying the vulnerabilities in the AML/CFT system that can be exploited by criminals to launder ill-gotten wealth. The results of the assessment will inform the crafting and adoption of the country’s AML/CFT Strategy for 2025–2029 on the policies and measures needed to mitigate the identified risks,” commented FIU Director General, Oliver Chiperesa.

This is Zimbabwe’s third NRA, following previous assessments conducted in 2014–2015 and 2019–2020. The FIU noted that the 2024 assessment demonstrates the country’s continued alignment with international standards and its commitment to safeguarding the financial system.

DRC Considers Future of Cobalt Export Ban as September Deadline Approaches

Mining
-
0
DRC Considers Future of Cobalt Export Ban as September Deadline Approaches

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to announce by September 21, 2025, whether it will continue, revise, or lift its ongoing ban on cobalt exports, a decision that could significantly influence global markets.

By Ryan Chigoche

The restriction, introduced on February 22, 2025, by the Regulatory and Control Authority for Strategic Mineral Substances Markets (ARECOMS), initially halted exports of cobalt hydroxides, carbonates, white alloys, and copper-cobalt concentrates for four months.

The suspension applied to all operators—industrial, semi-industrial, and artisanal—and was later extended by three months due to large global stockpiles.

Signed by ARECOMS Director General Patrick Mpoyi Luabeya, the measure aimed to curb excess supply and stabilize cobalt prices, which had fallen to record lows of US$21,000–US$22,000 per tonne.

A commission under ARECOMS is currently reviewing the ban’s impact to determine whether it should be maintained, modified, or lifted.

Meanwhile, the suspension has caused disruptions across the Congolese mining sector. Glencore, one of the country’s major producers, has warned of potentially significant unsold stockpiles by year-end as production continues to accumulate domestically. While prior inventories offer some financial cushioning, operators are facing heightened regulatory uncertainty.

Proposals to replace the ban with export quotas have also sparked debate. Questions about fair allocation, enforcement, and operational transparency have emerged, highlighting the challenge of balancing domestic interests with international demand.

Initially, the ban caused a temporary spike in cobalt prices, especially in China. However, global reserves, estimated by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence to cover eight to ten months of consumption, have largely absorbed the supply shock, tempering market reactions.

The policy has divided major producers. Glencore supports a quota system, while CMOC, the world’s largest cobalt producer, favors a full lifting of the ban.

The DRC holds approximately 70% of the world’s cobalt reserves, underscoring its strategic importance in the global market. Decisions made by Congolese authorities regarding export policy will therefore have far-reaching implications for international supply chains and the transition to low-carbon technologies.

HIT to Establish Lithium Processing Plant, Positioning Nation as Key Player in Global Battery Value Chain

Mining
-
0
HIT to Establish Lithium Processing Plant, Positioning Nation as Key Player in Global Battery Value Chain

The Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) is moving to establish a lithium processing plant, a strategic initiative designed to position Zimbabwe as a central hub in the global battery value chain, drive domestic value addition, and accelerate industrialisation in line with the country’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The announcement was made on Friday by HIT’s Vice Chancellor, Dr. Engineer Quinton Kanhukamwe, during the launch of a seminal book on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) authored by Dr. Washington Mbizvo. Dr. Kanhukamwe framed the project as a critical step toward harnessing Zimbabwe’s vast lithium reserves—among the largest in the world—to capture more value domestically rather than exporting raw ore.

“This initiative will unlock vast opportunities for value addition and industrialisation,” Dr. Kanhukamwe stated. “It will not only strengthen Zimbabwe’s beneficiation agenda but also anchor the country’s participation in the fast-growing green energy economy.” He emphatically declared lithium “the oil of the future,” adding that “Zimbabwe must be at the centre of that future. This plant at HIT is a step towards making our nation a global hub for energy storage technologies.”

The project arrives at a pivotal moment. Global demand for lithium, a fundamental component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage systems, is soaring. By moving into processing, Zimbabwe aims to transition from being a mere exporter of raw lithium concentrate to a producer of higher-value battery-grade materials, thereby capturing a more significant segment of the lucrative international market.

This ambition is already being mirrored by private industry. The recent commissioning of a $300 million lithium processing plant in Goromonzi by Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ), an arm of Chinese battery materials giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, underscores the sector’s rapid development. That facility alone has the capacity to process 4.5 million metric tons of hard rock lithium into concentrate for export annually. The HIT plant, while distinct as an institutionally driven project, signifies a parallel and reinforcing national strategy to build indigenous capacity and expertise in this critical sector.

The economic implications are substantial. By processing lithium locally, Zimbabwe can create higher-skilled jobs, increase tax revenues, reduce the costs associated with exporting unprocessed bulk materials, and foster a supportive ecosystem of downstream industries. This aligns perfectly with the government’s beneficiation agenda, which seeks to ensure that the nation’s mineral wealth translates into broader and more sustainable economic development. “It will cement Zimbabwe’s role as an emerging economic powerhouse in the field of battery development,” Dr. Kanhukamwe affirmed.

Crucially, the success of such high-tech industrial projects is inextricably linked to skills development. During the book launch, Dr. Kanhukamwe highlighted this symbiotic relationship, praising Dr. Mbizvo’s work, A Policy and Institutional Framework for TVET in Zimbabwe, as an essential blueprint. He described it as “a beacon of scholarly excellence” that provides much-needed guidance for policymakers and institutional leaders.

“The book is not merely an academic contribution,” he noted, “but a policy and institutional blueprint aligned with Zimbabwe’s national development vision.” This emphasis on TVET is critical. Establishing and operating a modern lithium processing plant requires a highly skilled workforce of engineers, chemists, metallurgists, and technicians. HIT, as a premier technology institution, is poised to become a central pipeline for this talent, ensuring that the human capital required for this industrial leap is developed domestically.

Zimbabwe’s foray into lithium processing is a testament to a broader vision of economic transformation. With global markets increasingly prioritising sustainable and ethically sourced supply chains for critical minerals, Zimbabwe has a unique opportunity to leverage its mineral wealth for structural economic change. The country is already a significant lithium producer, with projects like the Bikita Minerals mine and the Zulu Lithium and Tantalum project contributing to its output.

The HIT initiative represents a significant investment in national capability. It signals a shift from reliance on foreign expertise and capital for complex processing to building homegrown institutional knowledge. This empowers local engineers and scientists and ensures that the intellectual property and technical know-how remain within the country, fostering long-term innovation and self-reliance.

Looking ahead, the prospects for Zimbabwe’s lithium sector are exceptionally bright. The relentless global push for decarbonization and the rapid adoption of electric vehicles guarantee sustained long-term demand for lithium. By establishing processing infrastructure and investing in the necessary human capital today, Zimbabwe is positioning itself to become a major and indispensable player in the global lithium supply chain of tomorrow.

This project, therefore, is more than just a single plant; it is a statement of intent. It represents a concerted effort to move beyond resource extraction to technological mastery and industrial participation. By integrating industrial policy with education reform, as exemplified by the focus on TVET, Zimbabwe is laying a foundation for economic growth that is both sustainable and inclusive, ensuring that the benefits of its mineral endowment are felt across its economy and society for generations to come.

Ariana Resources Lists on ASX to Advance Tsholotsho’s Dokwe Gold Project

Mining
-
0
Ariana Resources Lists on ASX to Advance Tsholotsho’s Dokwe Gold Project

Mining and exploration junior, Ariana Resources PLC, has raised A$11 million (US$7.3 million) through its official listing on the Australian Securities Exchange, a move the company says will elevate the profile of its flagship Dokwe gold project in Tsholotsho, Mining Zimbabwe can report.

By Rudairo Mapuranga

The London-based, AIM-listed miner issued approximately 39.2 million Chess Depositary Interests (CDIs), each representing ten underlying shares, at a price of A$0.28 per CDI. The dual-listing is intended to broaden the shareholder base and enhance liquidity, providing a platform to showcase the high-value Dokwe asset to a market receptive to gold developers.

Managing Director Dr. Kerim Sener stated the ASX listing positions the company to achieve a “more attractive valuation” for the Dokwe project, which is among Zimbabwe’s largest undeveloped gold deposits with an estimated resource exceeding one million ounces.

A pre-feasibility study for Dokwe, located 110 km west of Bulawayo, outlines a potential open-pit operation producing 65,000 ounces of gold annually over a 13-year mine life. The study, based solely on the Dokwe North deposit, projects a post-tax NPV (10%) of $354 million and an IRR of 75%, using a gold price of $2,750/oz. The all-in sustaining cost is estimated at $1,144/oz, with a capital cost of $82 million and a payback period of 1.8 years.

Ariana is now advancing a definitive feasibility study targeting an expanded production profile of 100,000 ounces per year for at least a decade. Beyond Dokwe, Ariana also holds gold-silver projects in Turkey and exploration interests in Cyprus and Kosovo.

1...949596...717Page 95 of 717