Women in Mat North Eager to Fully Utilize Bubi Gold Centre
Women under the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) in Matabeleland North Province have vowed to restructure operations at the Bubi Gold Service Centre, which is currently “partially” operating.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, ZMF Matabeleland North Chairperson Jane Lusinga said women are now eager to come and strategize operations at the Bubi Service Centre because it has been run by people who were not ready to listen to the miners’ concerns.
She said the ZMF women’s wing in Matabeleland North is working to ensure they take matters into their own hands so that the Bubi Gold Service Centre can work at full capacity to help achieve the government’s vision for the country to become an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
“We have our people who were members of the board, the operation has predominantly been run by men. As women, we are working to make the centre viable. The previous management did not adequately address the diverse needs of miners. We are now strategizing and focusing on reviving some of the essential machinery at the site, including setting up ball and stamp mills and cyanidation tanks. These are critical for the efficient processing of gold ore and improving recovery rates. By enhancing our processing capabilities, we aim to support both large-scale and artisanal miners in the region,” Lusinga said.
The Bubi Small Scale Miners Association, in partnership with ZMDC, set up the Bubi Service Centre in the Bubi Area of Matabeleland North Province. The Service Centre was launched by the Government of Zimbabwe in July 2018, with funding from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).
Although ZMDC claims on its website that the Bubi Milling Centre is fully operational, the centre is reportedly shunned by miners due to the lack of competitive measures to attract clients.
About ten small-scale miners in the area have already received capacitation in the form of services and equipment. However, there are claims that the equipment they received is not suitable for running a small-scale mine, as the rollout of the equipment was done without consultations.
Artisanal and small-scale miners contribute over half the gold sold to Fidelity Printers, with over 23.3 tonnes of the 35 tonnes delivered in 2022. This year, the Government is targeting the production of over 50 tonnes to be delivered as a result of the support for artisanal and small-scale miners and the expansion of mines by the major mining houses.