Wilfred Runyararo Munetsi, the Deputy Director of Communication, Advocacy and Mining Community Suitability in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, has said the government is at an advanced stage in setting up an electronic system to administer, track mining rights, and process mining licences.
Munetsi stated that this new computerized system is envisaged to help address the long-standing issue of disputes over multiple allocations of mining claims.
In the past, the absence of a high-tech tracking system has resulted in such disputes spilling over into the courts of law, leading to delays in investments and production processes in the key mining sector.
Speaking in an interview with The Manica Post, Munetsi revealed that the ministry has already rolled out a pilot project to test the newly introduced electronic system. Said Munetsi:
The mining cadastre portal is now a work in progress as we are currently at pilot test, and hope to launch the system in full soon.
The goal of establishing the mining cadastre portal is to provide an electronic platform for all stakeholders in the mining sector in Zimbabwe to engage directly with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.
Munetsi said that the country has more than 60 extractable mineral deposits, but less than 10 are presently being commercially exploited for various reasons. He explained:
Mining in this country has, for various reasons, been dominated by small-scale miners, who would then attract big capital for expansion.
Small-scale miners favour gold for various reasons, including that it is easy to find, and is ubiquitously distributed across the country, including in Manicaland.
It is also easy to mine and process using rudimentary tools, has a ready market, has no minimum or maximum size, and thus can be mined at any scale.
So, there has been bias towards gold mining at the expense of other economic minerals that are not that attractive to small-scale miners.
Munetsi said price fluctuations, challenges with the marketing of minerals and the huge cost of extracting some minerals are some of the factors hindering mining in the country. He said:
What I know is that of all the minerals that have been mined, the mines were abandoned, not because of exhaustion of ore, but other reasons such as declining prices. So mining is always intermittent as prices fluctuate.
For instance, mica miming which used to be very important in the 1930s ceased due to a drastic fall in prices. Now the mining of the mineral has resumed in Karoi.
Marketing is also an issue. There are many minerals that could be mined, but small-scale miners cannot meet the marketing requirements of quality, quantity and timeliness of supply. Also, the miners do not know how to search for markets.
For instance, silica has become one of the most sought-after minerals, but is not attractive enough, and being an industrial mineral, requires certain minimum and maximum qualities, which the miners do not want to be bothered about.
This applies to industrial minerals such as limestone and feldspar, among others.
Some minerals are not being mined because they require huge processing plants that require huge capital injection.
For instance, iron ore and other base metals. There is a lack of promotion and awareness by authorities on the various minerals and how they can be mined.
For instance, there are many different types of gemstones which are mined in neighbouring countries, which are not mined here.
Maybe those countries do not have gold that steals all the thunder like what is happening here.
Earlier this week, the Government announced the immediate banning of riverbed mining following revelations that mining activities were causing water pollution, siltation and degradation of river channels.
More: Pindula News