ZMDC, Kuvimba partner to revive old mines
THE Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and its strategic partner, Kuvimba Mining House, have embarked on a programme to resuscitate their mines dotted across the country to scale-up gold output.
This is in sync with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1:2021-2025) that the Second Republic has enunciated with a view to boost economic growth through enhanced productivity across all sectors.
In a recent interview in Bulawayo, ZMDC general manager, Mr Blessed Chitambira, said the gold operations namely — Jena, Elvington, Sandawana and Sabi mines that they previously owned were now co-owned under a joint-venture project with Kuvimba.
As a result of ZMDC partial privatisation, he said the gold mines were now being resuscitated.
“Jena Mines, Elvington Mine and Golden Kopje as well as Sandawana are being privatised with the Government’s entity called Kuvimba Mining, which is now running Jena Mines because it (Kuvimba) has a controlling stake in all the other mines that l have just mentioned,” he said.
“In terms of productivity, Jena Mines is producing around 30 kilogrammes of gold per month from between 20 and 22kg before the acquisition by Kuvimba.
“We expect to develop that mine to produce close to 90kg of gold per month, the capacity is there. What is happening is equipping the shafts at Jena Mines.”
Mr Chitambira said exploration works were being undertaken at Elvington, which became derelict after the operation collapsed in 2003. On Sabi Mine, he said: “We have got a judicial manager there who is trying to finalise with the investor so that we can have a joint partnership with them (investor). It is producing between 20 and 22 kg per month.
We are also working on a leach project so that by mid next year, Sabi will be producing close to 40kg per month”, he said.
Mr Chitambira said efforts were also underway to resuscitate operations at Sandawana as well as increasing production at Golden Kopje, which ZMDC acquired recently. — The Chronicle
