GOVERNMENT has unveiled the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Strategy aimed at formalising artisanal mining and curbing illegal activities in the sector.
Mines ministry chief engineer Michael Munodawafa said the document prioritised environmental rehabilitation, mine safety enforcement and financial inclusion for miners.
“The Government of Zimbabwe has formulated an ASGM strategy that provides a framework of principles and policies that will guide the government in the formalisation of the ASGM sector,” Munodawafa said.
He was speaking during a PlanetGold Zimbabwe ASGM strategy draft dialogue held in Harare.
“The ASGM sector has numerous challenges which include informality, lack of technical expertise, lack of finance and poor safety, health and environmental standards,” he said.
“Enhancement of legal and institutional framework to cater for tailor-made mining titles, harmonisation of levies, establishment of mining courts, gold detectors and hammer mills and the restriction of small-scale mining to locals, among others.
“Reduction in mine accidents through capacitation of the ASGM sector, capacitation of the inspectorate to enforce health and safety standards . . .”
PlanetGold Zimbabwe project manager Nyaradzo Mutonhori said the initiative would help to reduce unsustainable mining practices.
“We are here to promote technologies that will improve the amount of gold we cover in the processing of the mineral,” Mutonhori said.
The ASGM sector is critical to socio-economic development, with over a million people dependent on it. Over the years, the ASGM sector has been contributing significantly to the national economy, generating 62% of the country’s total gold production of 30,1 tonnes in 2023.
