THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has urged the government to investigate a growing concern over some Chinese nationals allegedly adulterating gold with tungsten to artificially inflate its weight and value.
The revelation has sparked alarm within the local mining industry and prompted immediate measures to protect the integrity of Zimbabwe’s gold sector.
According to ZMF president Henrietta Rushwaya, illegal activities by certain traders have led to large quantities of gold being contaminated before submission for refining. Investigators believe these individuals drill gold bars and add tungsten — a metal nearly 10 times harder than gold — to deceive buyers about weight and purity.
Fidelity Gold Refinery, the country’s official gold-buying agency, has responded by acquiring X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machines to analyse mineral compositions and detect tampering.
“Some Chinese nationals have flooded our markets with gold that has been tampered with. This is a criminal activity that deprives our country of rightful revenues. We urge security agencies to investigate these cases thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice,” Rushwaya said.
She emphasised that unchecked adulteration not only harms the economy but also damages Zimbabwe’s credibility with global buyers. Tungsten’s hardness and durability makes it difficult to detect without advanced testing, meaning simple inspection is insufficient.
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Gold remains the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economy and the emergence of fraudulent practices in the sector has heightened urgency for stricter monitoring and enforcement.
Zimbabwe’s mining sector contributes approximately 60% of national exports, according to recent statistics from the Mines and Mining Development ministry.