Heavy rains water down gold output

ZIMBABWE’S gold output declined by 19,5 percent to 6,2 tonnes in the first quarter of this year, negatively impacted by the lack of equipment among small producers to dewater flooded pits during the rainy season.

Small-scale miners account for about 60 percent of the country’s total annual yellow metal production delivered to Fidelity Gold and Refiners, Zimbabwe’s sole authorised gold buyer.

The Meteorological Services Department predicted Zimbabwe would receive normal to above normal rains in the 2022/23 rainy season, which the first quarter characterised by incessant rains.

Unlike their large-scale counterparts, small-scale miners do not have sophisticated mining equipment to de-water mining shafts, which makes it difficult for them to undertake their operations.

According to production statistics provided by Fidelity Gold and Refiners, in the corresponding period last year, the gold miners delivered 7,7 tonnes.

Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya, whose organisation represents small-scale miners, said: “The drop in gold deliveries by the small-scale mining industry is largely due to the incessant rains received in the first quarter this year compared to the same period last year.

“So, each time the country receives more rains compared to the previous season, our mines become inaccessible and difficult to work on unlike our large-scale counterparts who have the equipment to de-water the shafts. So beginning next month, we expect to see gold deliveries of the smallscale miners improving.”

Despite the overall drop in gold output in the first quarter of the year, small-scale miners continued to lead in gold output, delivering 3,7 tonnes against 2,5 tonnes produced by large mining firms in the first three months of this year.

Although the small-scale miners persistently maintained the lead in terms of deliveries, their output was below the 4,9 tonnes they delivered in the first quarter last year.

Large-scale producers managed 2,7 tonnes during the same period last year.
Fidelity Gold and Refiners said in January, overall deliveries by both small-scale and large-scale producers totaled 1,9 tonnes and the figure remained constant in February before sharply rising to 2,4 tonnes last month.

During the corresponding period last year, the miners in January produced 2,87 tonnes before the figure dropped to 2,3 tonnes the following month and 2,6 tonnes in March.

In line with the US$12 billion mining economy target, the Government is targeting to generate US$4 billion from gold.

Before the launch of the US$12 billion milestone in 2019, the mining exports generated US$2,7 billion in 2018.

In 2022, the gold mining sub-sector delivered a record of 35,3 tonnes of the precious metal.
The increased gold output has largely been attributed to the Government’s improved support to the mining industry-herald