Heavy rains threaten gold output

Heavy rainfall being experienced across the country could force some artisanal miners to halt operations, with gold production likely to be the most affected.

Gold is Zimbabwe’s largest foreign currency earner while artisanal miners account for more than half the national production.

The country’s gold production rose by 55,5 percent in 2021, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said three weeks back, as the Government moves to incentivise miners bore fruit.

Deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refiners totalled 29,6 tonnes in 2021 versus 19 tons a year earlier, the RBZ said, adding total production figures would rise further after adding volumes from platinum group metals miners which also produce gold.

Zimbabwe has been receiving heavy rains across the country and a mining workers’ union has advised artisanal miners to temporarily stop operations to avoid potential accidents.

Most artisanal miners normally use rudimentary and unregulated methods of mining, which normally lead to deadly accidents.

The Zimbabwe Diamond Allied Minerals Workers’ Union (ZDAMWU) said the heavy rains posed risks given that most artisanal operations were unregulated and operators rarely observed safety regulations.

“ZDAMWU would like to urge small- scale artisanal miners across the country to temporarily halt operations due to the incessant rains which have been pounding the country in recent days,” the union said.

“The rains have made mining shafts and pillars in unregulated mining operations weak, hence putting the lives of those miners at risk. We would like to urge those in the two sectors to at least halt their operations temporarily until the rains have subsided.”

The union said the wet season was one of the most dangerous for small-scale and artisanal miners as “we have seen lives being lost during this season.”

Most small-scale miners have not invested in developing mines and putting in place safety measures, thereby putting lives at risk.

“As a union, we take note of the same message coming from the Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) encouraging small-scale and artisanal miners to put safety first.”

ZMF, which represents small-scale and artisanal miners, has said efforts are underway to raise awareness among miners against under-ground mining as various parts of the country continue to receive heavy rains.

“As ZDAMWU, we have always been calling for safety. We need to move gears up to combined campaigns , combined enforcement of the laws and policing of these small Hydraulic Hose For Sale

scale mines and artisanal miners .
“We have no doubt they (small-scale miners) are the major contributors of our mining sector . . . and also a vital cog in economic revival, but a lot needs to be done towards formalisation of these big economic enablers.

“Worldwide economies are sustained through formalising small-scale and artisanal mining.”

ZDAMWU said the Government should bring together all players including trade unions to eradicate illegal mining and reduce accidents.-The Herald