Top ten most promising individuals in the Mining sector under the age of 45
The mining sector in Zimbabwe is now being driven mainly by young people. This new generation is now taking over from the likes of popular David Murangari, Winston Chitando among others who are now approaching their sell by date.
This therefore means the mining sector remains in safe hands with a new crop of miners who have shown massive passive to move the mining sector forward. With their input and given a chance the mining sector is set to become bigger and better.
Below is a list of top five individuals under 45 years who have exude massive influence in the Zimbabwe mining sector.
Masango Mahlahla
At 44 Masango Mahlahla is an executive member in the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (chairperson Mashonaland central province). He is also an executive member of the Chrome Miners Association of Zimbabwe.
Masango is also a Mining Consultant, he specialises in mining strategic planning and development. He is the founder and chairperson of Mantle Consulting Group a company which specializes in developing small scale operations with the potential to grow, government mining policy and implementation, and International Mineral Export Trade. He is also a Chrome Miner with a Mining Operation located on the North Dyke. As stated Masango is Zimbabwe Miners Federation Mashonaland Central Chairman as well as the ZMF National Chrome Representative, Chrome Producers of Zimbabwe Representative and he is also a member of the MMCZ Chrome Consultative Committee.
Masango wrote a series of research papers regarding the greater financial potential small-scale mining held when paired with government policies designed to facilitate growth. Some of the support highlighted was as follows: the need for government led reinvestment into the industry in the form of infrastructure such as roads, power, weighbridges, formal marketplaces for all minerals, along with the implementation of export and domestic sales pricing models to support Zimbabwe’s mineral trade. He also wrote a $102 million USD capitalization plan via chrome ore production for the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Zimbabwe as well as a Government Revenue Generation research paper in which he noted that Zimbabwe small scale chrome miners held the potential to generate over $340 million USD in export sales revenue along with Government direct tax earnings of over $42 million USD.
He has been one of the voices in trying to see an improvement in chrome mining in the country while also being a vocal member in challenging MMCZ into increasing prices for chrome.
Mahlahla has been a voice of reason in the small-scale mining sector when he has been at the front of challenging MMCZ’s predatory stance when dealing with miners as well as challenging the rampant chrome smuggling.
He is highly regarded in the Mining Industry with many being of the opinion he will make a brilliant Mines Minister.
Dosman Mangisi (The Mining Champ)
The most popular on this list, at 41 Dosman Mangisi is the Director of Public Relations and Mining promotes at Zimbabwe Miners Federation, 5 years in the mining sector.
Dosman has been so influential as the Director of Public Relations. He was very instrumental in driving of ZMF membership ranging from Miners and Mining Equipment manufacturers and suppliers, Resuscitation of gold service centers, including Zhombe gold milling centre, Silobela at Peace Mine , Bubi gold centre and Wanderer in Shurugwi.
He was also visible in spearheading the formalisation activities in the gold sector, through these gold centres. In Silobela about 1000 artisanal gold miners got formalised and in Shurugwi over 500 artisanal miners.
In 2016 he managed to seal a $5million deal for Bubi gold centre in Matebeleland north with a South African company.
In 2014 in the chrome sector with present team they managed to lobby for the lifting of the ban and review of its taxation. Which the then Minister of Mines Walter Chidhakwa alluded to and in 2015 he announced the new development. This also witnessed the releasing of chrome claims by big mines.
Another lobby was the formation of Apple Bridge Investment, a special purpose vehicle for small scale chrome miners on chrome trading.
He sits in in the Committee of TB in the Mining Sector where I advocated TB screening of small scale miners in the work place.
He Studied Mineral Resources Valuation and Advanced in Mineral Processing.
Morgan Mugawu
At 42 Morgan Mugawu is currently Zimbabwe Miners Federation Secretary General, 2014-2015 he was the interim Treasure General of ZMF.
A Mechanical Engineer by profession, currently studying for a Mechanical Engineering Degree. Mugawu Started Mining in Kadoma 2002 in the battlefields area for 8 years and did custom milling in Cricket Area and Chegutu Butterfly Mine.
He became the President of Gold Miners Association in Zimbabwe in 2006 , Ventured into Gold mining in FORT RIXON from 2012 to date.
In Nkayi Morgan has a Limestone project under Karwendo Mining Syndicate where he is the operations director. The project is still under exploration.
Mugawu was also influential in facilitating the marriage between Zimbabwe Miners Federation and Fidelity Printers and Refineries which saw the two begin to work together to reduce gold leakages and promote fair gold pricing in Zimbabwe.
Dr Mercy Manyuchi
Musaida Mercy Manyuchi who is a director in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is a Doctor of Technology in Chemical Engineering who is currently researching options for using charcoal material as a sustainable power source in African communities.
She director for Research, Value Addition and Beneficiation in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. Manyuchi is also a board member for the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe.
Manyuchi, a PhD holder from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa, studies sustainability focusing on the water-energy-food nexus.
She has been instrumental in bringing Nigerian Businessman Benedict Peters into Zimbabwe.
Pardon Chitsuro
Pardon Chitsuro is an economist currently with Chamber of Mines Zimbabwe. He was previously employed by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe of Zimbabwe. Chitsuro has been instrumental in coming up with input to the mining sector as a whole and also contributed immensely on the country’s mining policies.
Chitsuro since his coming to Chamber of Mines, he has grown in to a household name in the mining sector. He has been a regular figure at all COMZ annual conferences.
Chiedza Chipangura
At 44 Chiedza Chipangura is one of the most influential women in the Mining industry in Zimbabwe. She is currently the Zimbabwe Miners Federation chairperson for Mashonaland West province, with mining interests in gold, chrome, limestone and glitterstones.
She worked in foundries for almost 20 years. She has been supplying large scale mining companies with different engineering solutions ranging from instrumentation to mechanical spares.
She founded Norton Miners Association in 2018 before being elected to be the Chairperson Zimbabwe Miners Federation in MashWest province.
Chipangura is the face of mining in Mashonaland West province, she has helped many women and youths to venture into mining sector. she is regarded by many as the gate way into the sector because of her supporting role.
Chiedza Chipangura has taken a step further in helping disabled people to venture in the mining industry offering a pathway for them to enjoy the benefits being enjoyed by other Zimbabweans, seeing that there is no reason for this group to be sidelined in the mining sector.
Samson Dzingwe
Born on the 3rd of March 1976, Samson Dzingwe is the Zimbabwe Prospectors Association (ZPA) founder and president. He is also a Geomatician studying Academic Diploma in Applied G.I.S and Drone Photogrammetry at AlDN virtual college in partnership with reformed church university.
Dzingwe is one of miners who wrote to the parliament last year objecting the mines and minerals Bill 2015 which he highlighted that they were rotten areas in the Bill. When the parliament overlooked or ignored his submissions Dzingwe wrote to the President of Zimbabwe not to sign the Bill into law and he rejected it back to parliament.
Dzimwe was also against the blanketing or carpeting of E.P.O’s across all mining provinces that it was not good for artisanal and small scale miners unless they preclude certain areas to allow them to participate in the mineral wealth of their own country.
Dzingwe was also vocal against corruption in the Ministry of Mines and Mining development provincial offices, some provincial members were suspended.
Clever Sithole
At 39, Clever is a Mineral Evaluator/ Gemmologist at the Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ). Clever is regarded as the most influential Gemmologist in Zimbabwe. In 2016 he was awarded a GIA (ODL USA) Graduate Gemologist Scholarship and in 2019 a World Gem Foundation Scholarship, USA.
Clever is a member of, Accredited Gemologists Association (USA), American Society of Appraisers (Gems & Jewellery) USA, GIA Alumni member (USA), HRD Antwerp Graduates Club (Belgium), Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers and Fellowship member of the Indian Diamond Institute.
From 2016-18 clever was involved in Chrome sampling and assaying- Apple Bridge Investment a MMCZ project.
Clever is currently a member of the Zimbabwe Gemmology Centre Technical Committee.
This article first appeared in the Mining Zimbabwe Magazine August 2019 issue