Government is tightening oversight of the mining sector through an ongoing Responsible Mining Audit (RMA) Training Workshop, a move designed to plug compliance gaps exposed in previous audits and send a clear warning to operators who continue to disregard the law, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Ryan Chigoche
The workshop comes as the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, working alongside several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), prepares for the third RMA, building on lessons from the 2023 and 2024 exercises, which revealed both progress and persistent weaknesses across the sector.
Last year, inspectors visited 728 mines, up from 424 in 2023, reflecting a major increase in coverage as the government ramped up compliance monitoring. During the same period, fines totalling USD 680,000 were imposed, underscoring the more assertive enforcement approach.
However, despite these positives, a report by ENM Advisory on Gaps in the 2023 to 2024 RMA showed that significant issues relating to responsible mining were left out, highlighting the continued need for stronger oversight.
“This training matters because the country is depending on us to anchor responsible mining. As mining expands and new players enter the sector, our oversight must stay ahead, be technically sound, coordinated, and uncompromising when it comes to protecting national interests, communities, and the environment,” said the Deputy Chief Government Mining Engineer, T Paswavaviri.
To address these persistent gaps identified in the report and promote a unified and more effective approach, he emphasised closer collaboration among all government institutions involved in mining oversight.
“The mining sector touches multiple institutions, Mines, EMA, RDCs, ZIMRA, Labour, and others. If these institutions work in silos, we lose time, duplicate work, and create space for non-compliance. The ‘One Audit, One File’ approach is a game changer. It harmonises operations, standardises what we collect, and maintains one consolidated audit record per operation. This isn’t just procedural, it’s a cultural shift. It says: ‘We work as one government, with one story, one compliance standard, and one shared responsibility,’” Paswavaviri said.
The audit teams are drawn from a broad range of government agencies, including Mines, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), local authorities, ZIMRA, and the Labour Ministry.
This multi-agency structure reflects the cross-cutting nature of the Responsible Mining Audit (RMA) process and addresses weaknesses identified in previous audits, where fragmented inspections often produced conflicting findings and created loopholes that some operators exploited.
A central aim of the training is to strengthen the technical capacity of inspectors. Participants are being equipped to apply statutory compliance requirements, integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, and follow standardised audit procedures.
The workshop also introduces digital tracking systems, uniform reporting templates, and consolidated audit files, all designed to make inspections more consistent, reliable, and defensible.
By harmonising inspections nationwide, these tools help ensure that audits are standardised, predictable, and enforceable under the National Responsible Mining Audit Framework (NRMAF).
The timing of the workshop reinforces the government’s broader push for stricter oversight. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned that operators who flout environmental and safety laws risk being removed from the sector, a position echoed by Mines Minister Winston Chitando, who has stressed that repeat offenders will face decisive action.
Despite increased coverage, higher fines, and a more robust enforcement stance, audits continue to reveal significant non-compliance among small-scale and informal miners.
Unlicensed operations, unsafe working conditions, and breaches of environmental and labour standards underline the urgency of building stronger capacity within the inspectorate.
Through the establishment of a national cascade of skills and the enforcement of uniform compliance standards from district to provincial levels, the Ministry aims to make the upcoming 2025 RMA more effective, consistent, and credible.
The initiative combines enforcement with guidance, helping miners formalise their operations safely and sustainably.
The ongoing RMA Training Workshop represents a decisive step toward a mining sector that is more accountable, transparent, and aligned with national expectations, sending a clear signal that non-compliance will no longer be tolerated.
