New claim mapping system to boost mining
THE cadstre mine claim mapping system will go a long way in resolving long standing mining title disputes and buoy Zimbabwe’s mining sector performance, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando has said.
Presently, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is inundated with several running disputes caused by over-pegging and double allocation of mining titles particularly at provincial level, which at times results in chaos in the sector.
The introduction of the new mapping system is therefore expected to bring sanity to Zimbabwe’s mining sector, the Southern African country’s single largest foreign currency earner, and spur growth through that economic segment.
A Cadastre is an up-to-date electronic land information system that contains a record of interests on a particular piece of land. It usually includes a geometric description of land parcels and nature of the interests, ownership or control of those interests.
Addressing delegates at the launch of the maps reprinting programme in Bindura, Minister Chitando said the issuance of mining claims has been on a growth path lately, hence the need for effective mapping practices that curb conflicts and promote productivity in the sector as the ministry intends to reach a US$12 billion mining industry target claim by 2023.
“Some of the disputes in the sector have been caused by these maps but we have come up with mechanisms that ensure disputes are attended to timeously, which promotes productivity and one of the key elements of provincial offices are the maps. It is on the basis of those maps that mining title is determined and awarded.
“Traditionally as a country we used to issue 2 500 mining titles per annum, but from the onset of the second republic, there is an increased appetite to invest in mining, and at some stage we had mining title applications increased to 15 000 per annum,” said Minister Chitando.
Freda Rebecca Mine managing director Eliakem Hove indicated that cadastre system is a seamless panacea to the prevailing mining disputes.
“Cadastral system enables you to fix in space geo-coordinates of a mining claim, it is electronically captured hence no one will be able to bring another coordinate within the same boundary perimeter, so it is a tool that will enable resolution of existing disputes as well as ensuring that the data is kept electronically,” Mr Hove said.
Minister Chitando also lauded Freda Rebeca Gold Mine for reaching a record 300 kilogrammes of gold production in June, which he said was a critical contribution to the achievement of the annual national gold production target.
The company’s managing director Mr Hove highlighted that his company has intentions to continue operating at an average of 280 kilogramme per month for the next five years.
The Zimbabwe mining sector set a $12 billion industry target by 2023 and a number of mining projects are rolling across the country.
Mashonaland Central province alone has seen revamping of operations at Shamva Gold Mine, Eureka Gold Mine in Guruve while Jumbo Mine resuscitation is on cards.
Other developments include the Muzarabani oil and gas project whose seismic equipment is already in the country and aims to start significant operations by the end of April next year.