‘2021 budget misses mechanisation component’
SMALL-scale miners have appealed to the Government to avail more funding from the fiscus towards mechanisation of the sector to unlock production.
Although they hailed the 2021 budget for allocating $1,4 billion towards capacitating the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development on planning, exploration, automation and data capture, they said their greatest need was capitalisation to acquire critical equipment so as to ramp up output and meet the US$12 billion mining economy by 2023.
“The 2021 budget partially addresses concerns that are being faced in the mining sector. Although we are glad that most of the aspects were addressed, we feel critical issues were left behind,” Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) spokesperson, Mr Dosman Mangisi, said.
“Though it focuses mainly on resuscitation of closed mines, you find that some of them are capital intensive so we are saying funding of mines should also be key. Mechanisation should be prioritised if we are to attain the US$12 billion mining economy by 2030.”
Mr Mangisi said the budget seemed to focus on quick wins only and left behind long-term achievements.
“Mechanisation is a long-term solution to most of our challenges. The budget focused more on quick wins neglecting long time achievements like investment in machinery,” he said.
“We are saying mechanisation is the key to all the problems that the mining sector is faced with. In as much as we resuscitate old mines or open new ones, as long as there is no mining equipment there is nothing we are doing. We, therefore, urge the Government to look along those lines.”
While admitting the challenge over mineral leakages, especially gold, Mr Mangisi said improved mechanisation would help in tracking illegal operations and monitoring. Young Miners’ Federation (YMF) co-founder, Mr Payne Kupfuwa, concurred and hoped the positives in the budget will be implemented as indicated. He said YMF was looking forward to venture capital facilities to boost efficiency.
“With the Government support we are guaranteed to play our role in attaining Vision 2030,” said Mr Kupfuwa.
The 2021 budget projects a rebound of 11 percent in the mining sector driven by planned expansion programmes aimed at increasing production.
These include exploration, expansion of existing mining projects, resuscitating of closed mines, opening of new ones and mineral beneficiation and value addition.
