ZIMBABWE Miners Federation (ZMF) has registered close to 15 000 miners in the Midlands province in a bid to curb illegal mining in the country.
Stephen Chadenga
ZMF spokesperson Dosman Mangisi said the federation had so far registered illegal gold panners in Gweru, Kwekwe and Shurugwi.
Mangisi said the move is aimed at formalising the operations of small-scale miners in line with the government’s economic turnaround initiatives.
“We have registered approximately 15 000 miners in Gweru, Kwekwe and Shurugwi. The move is meant to formalise their operations so that we fight gold leakages through illegal mining activities,” Mangisi said.
Most small-scale miners are not registered depriving the country of potential revenue with increasing reports of mineral leakages into neighbouring countries.
He said through illegal mining activities, the country did not only lose revenue, but that they (gold panners) were contributing to massive land degradation.
“Besides, we have had two or three death incidents per week involving illegal gold miners. We are saying if they get licences and are registered even the way they operate should change,” he said.
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Government has already embarked on a drive to formalise the operations of artisanal miners and allocated $100 million to capacitate small-scale operations.
Last year small-scale miners contributed 60% of gold output.
