The Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) has welcomed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s renewed commitment to small-scale mining, but says the pledge must now be translated into tangible results on the ground.
ZMF president Henrietta Rushwaya commended the President for placing small-scale miners at the centre of the national mining agenda in his State of the Nation Address.
“When the President affirmed in his SONA that the formalisation, financing and equipping of small-scale gold mining and other mineral operations will remain a priority for Government, he reinforced an important principle: small-scale miners are not peripheral participants in Zimbabwe’s mining economy, but genuine partners in the country’s economic development,” she said.
Rushwaya said the commitment carries three fundamental meanings for miners: dignity, sustainable access to finance, and access to modern technology.
On dignity, she said formalisation must be supportive, accessible and affordable.
“Formalisation, when undertaken in a supportive, accessible and affordable manner, gives miners legal recognition, secure mining rights and a legitimate place within the formal economy. It provides the confidence required to invest, expand operations, access markets and plan sustainably for the future,” she said.
On finance, she said mechanisms must be designed around the realities of small-scale mining.
This includes gold-backed lending, revolving funds, equipment finance and fair off-take arrangements to move miners from subsistence to commercially viable enterprises.
“We are not seeking handouts; we are seeking a fair opportunity to grow, invest and contribute more to the national economy,” Rushwaya said.
To address capital constraints, ZMF called for the continuous funding of the Gold Development Initiative Fund administered through Fidelity Gold Refineries, and for the resuscitation of the Mining Industry Loan Fund, which historically supported small-scale miners.
“Reviving and strengthening such financing mechanisms would go a long way towards addressing some of the capital constraints currently confronting small-scale miners and enabling them to invest in production, equipment, safety and processing capacity,” she said.
“The objective should be to create financing instruments that are accessible, affordable, sustainable and aligned with the production realities of small-scale mining.”
On technology, Rushwaya said equipping miners with affordable, safe and efficient solutions, including mercury-free processing and improved recovery plants, would increase production, improve recoveries and environmental outcomes, and enhance livelihoods in mining communities.
To make this work, ZMF wants a collaborative and consultative implementation framework bringing together Government, miners, financiers and equipment suppliers to coordinate formalisation, finance, equipment leasing and technical support.
“The Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation stands ready to facilitate the participation of small-scale miners in this process, ensuring that their experiences, production challenges and aspirations are reflected in the implementation of the President’s vision,” she said.
“If we build that framework together, the President’s commitment, reaffirmed in the SONA, can quickly translate into tangible outcomes on the ground: increased mineral production, more jobs, safer mining operations, stronger rural economies and greater value accruing to the national economy.”
ZMF also welcomed expansion works in the gold sector highlighted by the President, saying growth must deliberately create space for small-scale miners through contract mining, service provision, equipment supply and local beneficiation.
“Growth in Zimbabwe’s mining sector must therefore create meaningful linkages across the mining value chain, ensuring that expanding production creates opportunities for the wider mining ecosystem and the communities that sustain the sector,” Rushwaya said.
“Our members are not spectators in Zimbabwe’s mining story. We are producers, entrepreneurs and employers, and we are ready to play our part in transforming the country’s mineral wealth into broad-based national prosperity.
“The President has reaffirmed the priority in his SONA. Our collective responsibility now is to turn that commitment into implementation, production and lasting economic opportunity.”
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