THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) says years of lobbying against foreign participation in small-scale gold mining have finally paid off after the government moved to reserve the sector exclusively for Zimbabweans.
Recently, the government announced that Zimbabwe’s small and medium-scale gold mining sector would be reserved for citizens and locally owned entities, citing concerns over unsustainable, mechanised and non-standard mining practices by foreign investors.
Authorities said the activities had fuelled conflicts with local communities, miners and farmers, while undermining environmental compliance, mineral accountability and the sustainable development of the sector.
Under the new policy, small and medium-scale gold mining operations are defined as those producing up to 20 kilogrammes of gold per month or involving capital investment of up to US$15 million. Mines exceeding either threshold will be classified as large-scale operations.
“This decision responds directly to a long-standing call by the ZMF, which has consistently advocated against foreign investors occupying small-scale mining claims intended to benefit Zimbabwean citizens,” ZMF president Henrietta Rushwaya told NewsDay Business.
“By requiring foreign investors holding 40 hectares or less to demonstrate viability by producing at least 20kg of gold per month by January 1, 2027, the government has drawn a clear, fair and enforceable line.”
Keep Reading
- Disgruntled chrome miners meet govt over poor prices
- Small scale miners call for gemstone trade liberalisation
- Govt blocks small-scale miners from lithium fields
- ‘Govt to regulate artisanal miners’
Rushwaya said the policy marked a significant victory for ZMF members and represented responsible and equitable resource governance.
“The policy safeguards the artisanal and small-scale mining sector for Zimbabweans, addresses the longstanding concern of foreign occupation of claims reserved for citizens, and ensures that only investors with genuine large-scale mining capacity remain in the sector,” she said.
According to sources, some foreign investors targeted communal lands, rural areas, natural heritage sites, ancestral lands, and conservancies, paying meagre amounts to local communities before acquiring mining rights and displacing residents.
“Some foreign investors would go into a village, stake a claim, and, once they had secured the necessary documentation, force villagers out. Meanwhile, they would give little or nothing to the communities while extracting significant quantities of gold,” a source told NewsDay Business.
The government also alleged that some foreign investors and large-scale gold miners were funnelling gold through individuals masquerading as artisanal miners to benefit from the 100% foreign currency retention rate available to small-scale producers.