Zero disputes. One centimetre. That’s the future.
In a decisive move to bring order and precision to Zimbabwe’s mining sector, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has issued a landmark directive requiring all mining title holders to submit survey-grade coordinates for their claims, effective 1st July 2025, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The notice, issued from the Provincial Mining Director’s office in Gweru and signed by K. Mlangeni, clearly states that only registered mine surveyors using survey-grade instruments are now authorised to provide coordinate data for the country’s mining cadastre.
“As from the 1st of July 2025, all mining title holders will be required to submit surveyed coordinates for their mining titles done by a registered mine surveyor, who should use survey-grade instruments,” he said in the notice.
This directive, which comes amid widespread mining disputes and overlapping claims, is being hailed as a necessary shift towards professionalism, accuracy, and national mineral security.
The Problem: 5-Metre Errors Causing Chaos
For years, Zimbabwe’s mining title system has relied heavily on handheld GPS devices, which have an average horizontal accuracy error of 5 to 10 metres—sometimes even worse depending on terrain and satellite availability. While this margin may seem small, in the dense and competitive world of gold, lithium, chrome and platinum claims, a 5-metre error is enough to trigger serious disputes, encroachments, or even legal battles.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Pfungwa Kunaka, has since communicated to all Provincial Mining Directors (PMDs) stressing the need for coordinate accuracy at or below 1 centimetre—something only achievable through survey-grade equipment like Total Stations, GNSS base-rover systems (differential GPS), and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS setups operated by qualified surveyors.
A Professional Turn: Registered Mine Surveyors Step In
The decision effectively sidelines unverified data and repositions registered mine surveyors as critical actors in the mining value chain. Miners, many of whom had previously submitted coordinates taken from handheld devices, are now being encouraged to seek verification and re-surveying support from qualified professionals.
This is not a punitive measure, the Ministry says, but a corrective one aimed at:
- Reducing boundary disputes between miners
- Preventing double allocations of claims
- Securing national mining data integrity
- Preparing for full digitalisation under the upcoming electronic Mining Cadastre System
Support for the Decision: Clarity and Conflict Prevention
The move has already received strong support from within the sector.
“This is a long-overdue development,” said a Midlands-based mining consultant. “Too many disputes we mediate stem from GPS errors. You can’t build a billion-dollar sector on five-metre guesswork. A miner should know exactly where their claim begins and ends.”
Small-scale miners and cooperatives, often the most vulnerable to boundary-related disputes, also stand to benefit. Many have been victims of encroachment or misplacement due to incorrect coordinates, only to lose out during inspections or legal reviews.
By standardising accuracy through certified professionals, the government is not only protecting mineral rights—but also creating a basis for a sustainable, dispute-free, investor-friendly mining sector.
Populist Value: Building Trust in the System
At a time when many miners feel disempowered or vulnerable to shifting policy and unclear boundaries, the move to professionalise and centralise coordinate management is a step in the right direction.
It also paves the way for greater trust in the forthcoming electronic Mining Cadastre System—a digital platform the government is working to implement to manage mining rights, applications, payments, and dispute resolutions. A system is only as good as its data—and now, that data will be accurate.
“You can’t digitalise garbage,” a mine surveyor quipped. “If the base coordinates are wrong, everything that follows will be wrong. The Ministry has made the right call.”
What This Means for Miners
From 1 July 2025, all miners—whether small-scale or large—must:
- Engage a registered mine surveyor
- Ensure all submitted coordinates meet survey-grade accuracy
- Re-survey existing claims if they were registered using handheld GPS
- Submit these coordinates through the proper channels as required by the PMDs
Professionalism Is the Future
This policy move underscores a bigger truth in Zimbabwe’s mining future: professionalism and accuracy are no longer optional—they are national imperatives.
By enforcing the use of survey-grade instruments and qualified personnel, the Ministry of Mines is laying the foundation for a credible, modern, and investor-friendly mining sector. More importantly, it’s giving miners—small or large—a fighting chance to protect what they own and build with confidence.
