eBusiness Weekly
Ishemunyoro Chingwere
Government will soon promulgate specific mineral development policies for all minerals found in Zimbabwe in an effort to maximise returns.
This was said by Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando yesterday while addressing the MINEX breakfast meeting at the ongoing 108th edition of the Harare Agricultural Show.
Already, Government is working on the new Diamond Policy that will be announced by President Mnangagwa “soon”.
Minister Chitando the announcement said will be the beginning of a process that will see the same happening for all other minerals, among them, gemstones from which the country has not reaped significant returns.
“I am sure we may have heard that His Excellency, the President, will be announcing the new diamond policy very soon. It will be a start in a series of various mineral development policies which will also cover gold, platinum and all the other minerals,” said Minister Chitando.
“Government is coming up with mineral development policies for each and every mineral (found in Zimbabwe) and one sector that will also be covered are gemstones.
“There will be a policy on how Zimbabwe can maximise value from gemstones, (and) also covers how miners can be supported in the extraction and processing of gemstones.
“But whilst we await formalisation of the policy, some of the work has already started in the background.”
In diamond mining, state mining entity, Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), is already working on increasing production from the 1,8 million carats mined last year to at least 10 million carats by 2023.
Production will further rise to 12 million carats by 2025.
In gold, work is on growing production from the 24,8 tonnes achieved last year to an annual target of 100 tonnes per year.
This will be anchored on the new gold policy to be announced by Government.
For coal and coal-bed methane, Government has a desire to see its development and would be used for power generation and diesel production as is being done by South Africa’s
Sasol, which ranks as one of the global pacesetters in developing natural gas and coal to liquid fuels.
Government has already signed investment agreements for the production of power from coal and coal-bed methane as well as diesel.
Zimbabwe is endowed with gemstones among them emerald, aquamarine, beryl, tourmaline, sapphire, ruby, garnet, tantalite and others, but has not been able to fully exploit them as most deposits are not amenable to conglomerate mining.
Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president Henrietta Rushwaya said it is already working on a framework to capacitate gemstone miners with financial assistance from Metbank.
“There are certain minerals which conglomerates cannot be seen working on and amongst these (gemstones) are some of them . . . so within the next couple of days, we will be visiting the respective provinces doing our database and Metbank so that we will be able to empower the miners,” said Rushwaya.
