Women miners plead for exploration support, power connection

WOMEN in mining have appealed for more Government support on exploration projects
that will unlock more business value from their claims as well as connecting their
operations with electricity supplies.

Contributing during a plenary session under the National Development Strategy (NDS1)
outreach workshop held in Bulawayo on Wednesday, Ms Sibonile Ngwenya, who spoke on
behalf of small-scale women miners said lack of exploration limits their capacity to
produce more minerals.

She also noted that most of their operations were not connected to power, which forces
miners to use costly generators when pumping out water.
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Ms Ngwenya said despite making applications for connection by the power utility, the
process was taking long and frustrating their members.

“I work under Bubi Small Scale Miners Association. We’re appealing for electricity
connection to our claims since our operations need electricity because we work in areas
where we need to continuously pump out water,” she said.

“If we get electricity connection, it will improve our production as well as reduce the cost
of doing business because, as we speak, we are using generators.

“We’re also appealing for the Government to assist us as women in mining through
exploration as we don’t have enough resources. It costs us more as we end up mining
anywhere without knowing if there is anything or not.”

Ms Ngwenya also said as women miners they struggle to reach their production targets
as they lack adequate equipment, which is expensive to buy.

“We end up hiring machines like compressors and we work under guess work without
knowing exactly if we are going to get any significant output. So, sometimes we end up
working for losses,” she said.

“We’re also appealing to the Government to assist with training as most of the miners
are there because of poverty and yet without any proper skills and knowledge required
for safety and sustainable mining.

“We want to be able to avoid injuries and loss of lives as women in mining always use
wrong methods of mining due to lack of knowledge.”

Responding to the concerns, Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister,
Clemence Chiduwa, said the Government was committed to fully support the small-scale
miners as they are delivering more gold to Fidelity Printers and Refiners than primary
producers.
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Finance and Economic Development Deputy Minister Clement Chiduwa
“At least 62 percent of gold being delivered to Fidelity is from small scale miners and the
big guys are contributing 38 percent. So, there is total support and we’re recognising
you,” he said.

“You’ll see that you have got the full support of the Government, what I would like to say
is that we have got the Special Drawing Rights from the IMF and, as part of Government
to show that we support you, we’ve set aside US$10 million for the setting up of gold
centres.”
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Deputy Minister Chiduwa said a gold centre is a one-stop-shop where miners will be able
to get all the required equipment and a milling machine including offices to buy gold.
“I want to assure you that the support is there from the Government,” he said.

Small to medium scale miners continue to lead the pack in terms of production volumes
after they delivered a cumulative 19,98 tons of gold from January to October up from
12,95 tons last year.

Large scale primary gold producing firms on one hand have delivered 9,47 tons
compared to 9,07 tons during the same period last year.

Deputy Minister Chiduwa said small-scale miners support President Mnangagwa’s vision
of achieving an upper middle-income economy through employment creation hence they
deserve Government’s full support. — The Chronicle