In a decisive move to reshape mining dispute resolution and formalise claim ownership, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has proposed removing pegging provisions from the Mines and Minerals Act, placing them instead under ministerial regulations — a shift that dovetails with the ongoing enforcement of survey-grade coordinates for all mining claims, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners Conference held at Mine Entra 2025 in Bulawayo, Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Dr. Caleb Makwiranzou, said the Ministry intends to “remove excessive peculiarities” in the current Act, including pegging procedures, to streamline operations and enhance localisation of mining at the primary level.
“We also require that we remove excessive peculiarities in our current Act… things like pegging and so on. We want to remove them and put them in the regulations, not in the Act. We also want to make provision for the indigenisation and localisation of the mining industry at the primary level of mining — that is, artisanal and small-scale miners,” said Dr. Makwiranzou.
This legislative change aligns with the Ministry’s recent stringent enforcement of a directive that mandates all prospecting and registration applications to be accompanied by coordinates produced by a registered and certified surveyor. This policy, which effectively bans the use of handheld GPS devices for pegging, is aimed at curbing rampant boundary disputes and creating a reliable, conflict-free digital cadastre for Zimbabwe’s mining operations.
The proposal to move pegging from the Act to regulations is strategically linked to the new era of precision-driven claim management. By making surveyors the cornerstone of the pegging process, the Ministry ensures that the foundational data entering the new system is accurate and legally defensible.
Miners are now required to engage licensed surveyors who are registered in the Ministry of Mines database and are paid-up members of the Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (AMSZ). This ensures accountability, professional standards, and seamless integration with Zimbabwe’s evolving digital mining cadastre system (CMCIMS).
“We’ve seen too many disputes due to inaccurate boundary markings and speculative pegging,” said a Mines Ministry official. “From now on, we’re not processing anything unless the coordinates are traceable to a professional surveyor who is on our system and affiliated with AMSZ. It’s about order and accountability.”
The role of the surveyor has become so integral that a new professional designation, the “Survegger” — a qualified Surveyor who is also a licensed Pegging Agent — has emerged, offering integrated services to miners by combining technical surveying and legal claim pegging into a single, efficient operation.
The proposal, however, has sparked a complex debate. While current pegging guidelines enshrined in the Act provide miners with clear legal recourse in disputes, moving them to regulations would place procedures directly under ministerial discretion. This allows the Ministry to revise and enforce rules administratively without requiring Parliamentary approval.
Analysts believe the move could make dispute resolution faster and more efficient but also concentrate authority within the Ministry. The Association of Junior Mining Professionals of Zimbabwe observed that the proposed changes could be aimed at giving the Ministry “total control” over pegging and claim management, ensuring that disputes are settled internally.
“When pegging remains in the Act, miners have legal grounds to challenge certain decisions. Moving it to regulations gives the Ministry flexibility but reduces checks and balances,” the Association noted.
Despite the concerns, the overarching goal of these reforms is widely seen as the modernisation and formalisation of the mining sector. The Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (AMSZ) has welcomed the enforcement of the surveyor rule, stating it affirms the importance of professionalism.
As discussions around the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill continue, miners and stakeholders have been urged by Deputy Minister Dr. Caleb Makwiranzou to engage actively to ensure that the push for efficiency does not come at the expense of fairness and transparency in the sector. The combination of regulatory overhaul and a strict survey-grade coordinate system marks a definitive step towards a more professional and transparent mining environment in Zimbabwe.
