By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) ZELA APPEARING BEFORE THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEES ON MINES AND MINING DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENCE, HOME AFFAIRS AND SECURITY SERVICES 1.0 ABOUT ZIMBABWE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ASSOCIATION (ZELA) AND ASM WORK We are a public interest environmental law group that seeks to promote equitable, just, and sustainable environmental and natural…
Compiled by Shamiso Mtisi and Michelle Matsvaire (Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association) Discussions on the amendment of the Constitution of Zimbabwe have resumed without any significant strides having been made in implementing and upholding already existing key provisions. The Constitution of Zimbabwe (Amendment) Bill No. 2 was gazetted on 17 January 2020 with the aim of…
Spiked Online Media had an interview with Mr. Blessing Togarepi, the Founder and Director of Togabless Mining Consultancy – a company that is empowering people from all walks of life to venture into mining. Below, we share snippets from the interview: Background details, family, education. Blessing Togarepi is a Christian and visionary man, born in…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Today is World Water Day which is running under the theme, ‘Valuing Water.’ This theme is significant as it puts on the spotlight the value of water in our daily lives. As we commemorate the day adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 22, 1992, we reflect…
The Management of the Kwabena Resources Limited, headed by Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Douglas Chikohora, in the presence of other members of the company, including William Slack, Financial Director, Wurie, Director of Mining, Madam Aminata Tengbeh, Admin, Dr. Stanford, and others, on Friday 13th March 2020, at the Baomahun Court Barry in the Valunia Chiefdom,…
The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) said the International Women’s Day was an opportune time to reflect on progress made, to call for change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by women and girls who have played an extraordinary role in the history of mankind including in the natural resource management sector. The…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Introduction and Background The Minister of Mines and Mining Development has in terms of section 403 of the Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05] increased mining fees by over 800 percent quoting the fees in United States dollars[1] but payable at the prevailing exchange rate. This is highlighted in the…
By Grace Goodrich In addition to sizable gas reserves found offshore, Mozambique is home to commercially significant deposits of coal, gold, graphite, ilmenite, iron ore, titanium, copper, tantalum and bauxite, to name a few. While COVID-19 may have disrupted mining operations in terms of site closures and reduced export earnings, demand for precious minerals and…
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Information Department Background This is the second edition of the Situational Report (Sit-Rep) compiled by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association’s (ZELA) Wildlife Cluster. This edition is a rapid assessment profiling mining activities taking place in four Protected Areas and Critical ecosystems (PACE).Suffice to indicate that there is still need for a…
Masutane Modjadji When the first Covid-19 cases were reported in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in March 2020, no one could have prepared for the devastation that the virus would bring. Countries responded swiftly (and rightly so) to the global public health emergency but this has had unintended consequences as a result of the…
By Bernard Chiketo Prime Royal African Investments (PRAI) has allayed fears and said hundreds of artisanal miners teeming in shafts dotted in the hills around Redwing Mine in Penhalonga give the illusion of chaotic frenzied illegal gold extraction. This is because of the model that Prime Royal African Investments (PRAI), which is now on a…
By Ronnie Chisamba Afro-jazz artiste Philip Astoni Zulu (38) – aka Phil Zulu – is scheduled to release his latest single, Chirimuninga, on the 8th of December. Phil made the announcement to his fans and music followers, on social media earlier yesterday. “The expected date for the official launch of Chirimuninga – my latest offering…
Civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media have been urged to strengthen the monitoring and accountability of the extractive sector in the country’s increasingly volatile and opaque political economy. This emerged at a meeting organised by the Zimbabwe National Editors Forum (Zinef) in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) held in…
Agriculture and mining are driving the Zimbabwean economy hence the need for serious investment in the two sectors, Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, and Rural Resettlement has said. He made the remarks during an interface meeting with stakeholders in the agricultural and mining value chain during the 110th edition of the…
By Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development Mineral resource leakages continually undermine Zimbabwe and Africa’s efforts to tap into the economic potential presented in the vast mineral resources. The Government of Zimbabwe is envisioning a US$12 billion mining industry by 2023. According to the 2021 Budget Strategy Paper, mining will be the leading sector in…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) notes with concern the slow and poorly coordinated search, rescue or recovery efforts of five artisanal miners trapped underground at Task Mine in Chegutu. This disaster follows several others in the last two years that claimed lives of those trying to eke a living…
By Habakkuk Trust The gaps within the legislative framework governing the natural resources sector particularly gold mining have given rise to conflicts in mineral-rich areas. Recently in Domboshava village in Matobo Ward 17, a mining dispute erupted after a group of miners reportedly invaded a protected area to prospect for gold. The miners were in…
New report exposes how known traders and exporters are circumventing legal channels and pocketing massive profits from smuggled artisanal DRC gold MPACT’s (https://IMPACTTransform.org/en/) newest report reveals how the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) illicit gold trade continues to thrive despite efforts to clean up the sector. Traders and exporters who are legally registered in the…
The government has announced that mining on areas held by National Parks is banned with immediate effect as steps are being undertaken to immediately cancel all mining title held in National Parks. This comes as a relief amidst reports that two mining companies namely Zhongxin Coal Mining Group and Afrochine Smelting allegedly received permission from the…
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said illegal mining activities are widespread across the country especially in the rural provinces, and it’s affecting the nation in a number of ways. It is estimated that there are over 1, 5 million small scale illegal gold panners across the country operating in rivers, plantations, grazing areas, fields,…
By Gideon Madzikatidze The Chimanimani Tourism Association (CTA) and Birdlife Zimbabwe are warning people to desist from taking advantage of lockdown regulations to indiscriminately plunder resources in the Chimanimani area of Manicaland. The two organisations cited the Chimanimani mountainous area where rampant illegal alluvial gold mining is allegedly taking place during the locakdown to the…
STAFF WRITER VULTURES are circling over mining conglomerate Metallon gold’s Penhalonga mine – Redwing, and the company needs to be vigilant to fend off invasions, a senior government official has said. Ministry of Mines and Mining Development official Innocent Murapa told a peace conference held by Green Governance in Mutare recently that the mine was…
STAFF WRITER Illegal artisanal miner infestation in Penhalonga is compromising the security of small-scale miners’ operations as they are passing on the intelligence of the movement of rich gold ore movement to armed criminal gangs now popularly known as Mashurugwi. Manicaland Miners’ Association (MMA) secretary-general Lovemore Kasha told a Green governance Penhalonga peace dialogue meeting…
By Habakkuk Trust The current clampdown on the mining sector in Insiza District has reduced the number of mines bringing in gold for milling at processing sites. Last week, Habakkuk Trust followed up on reports of a clampdown on artisanal and small scale miners from some of its Insiza Community Advocacy Team members. Reports obtained from locals…
The Zimbabwe Prospectors Association (Z.P.A) is urging the Ministry of Mines to improve its systems of operations across all mining provinces. The association argues that there are a lot of problems that require serious attention if the mining industry is to improve in production, efficiency, and effectiveness. “The pertinent issues range from delays in the…
By Habakkuk Trust Some small scale mining companies are seemingly struggling to adhere to COVID-19 safety precautions at a time when positive cases are on the rise. These revelations came after a snap survey conducted by Habakkuk Trust in Bubi and Umzingwane Districts to ascertain COVID-19 compliance in the sector. Habakkuk Trust has noted with concern…
As a further support mechanism in the fight against Covid-19, MultiChoice has partnered with the One Africa Global Foundation to host a continent-wide broadcast of the Covid-19 Hope For Africa Concert later this month, an event that will feature Zimbabwean participation. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the concert would…
The double crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse in oil prices is taking a toll on African economies and the African energy industry. An unstable and precarious oil prices environment has resulted in substantial cuts in state budgets and public spending, in losses of contracts and hundreds of thousands of jobs put at…
Spiked Online Media caught up with Blessing Togarepi the Founder and Managing Director Of Togabless Investment which is solely centered on mining empowerment and uplifting of all those with mining at heart in order to achieve the US$12 billion mining economy by 2023. Toga Bless Mining Investment was established with the purpose of revitalising the…
Addressing government and industry representatives in New York on March 3, at the occasion of the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Role of Diamonds in Fuelling Conflict, the Kimberley Process (KP) Civil Society Coalition (CSC) questioned the often-hailed contribution of the KP to preventing conflict and promoting development. A conflict…
By Byron Zamasiya and Mukasiri Sibanda To better track impact of capacity building work with Parliament on promoting transparency and accountability in the mining sector, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) jointly agreed with Parliament of Zimbabwe to come up with performance targets. This was agreed during a workshop facilitated by ZELA on Mining Fiscal Transparency and…
By Joyce Mukucha and Byron Mutingwende Zimbabwe and Rwanda are working tirelessly on strengthening their business ties within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Joint Permanent Commission of Co-operation. The bilateral relations will see the two countries co-operating in various areas that include ease of doing business, investment, mining,…
Following a spate of violent attacks by machete wielding gangs targeting gold producing areas, stakeholders have called on authorities to stop this menace in order to restore peace and tranquility. This emerged at the multi-stakeholder conference organised by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) with support from the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM) held…
By Blessing Togarepi I wish to thank Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) from Mashonaland Central Province following the arrest of the 16 machete wielding terrorists who were in the habit of unleashing serious violence that is affecting genuine small scale Miners and the ordinary people at large in the area. The accused persons were part of…
By Anyway Yotamu and Joyce Mukucha The Mines and Mining Development Parliamentary Portfolio Committee has urged the government to impose stiffer penalties on machetes gangs known as Mashurugwi as part of efforts to deal with the crimes perpetrated by these gold panning criminals. (Mashurugwi) is the term used to refer to outlaws that have become the…
By Anyway Yotamu. President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday 20 December 2019 participated in a symposium to mark the United Nations Anti-Corruption Day where he responded to questions and concerns raised by the public on the fight against graft. The UN Anti-Corruption Day falls on December 9. The symposium was organised by the African Parliamentarians Network…
By Anyway Yotamu and Joyce Mukucha The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested more than 1 500 illegal artisanal miners and 3 471 people found in possession of dangerous weapons including machetes have been arrested so far as police moves a gear up to thwart the marauding machete gangs. Addressing a press conference in Harare…
Shamiso Mtisi, the Coordinator of the Kimberly Process (KP) Civil Society Coalition has described the grouping as dysfunctional despite the tremendous efforts to find solutions to the many problems that the biggest diamond mining and trading sector is facing today. “After three (3) years of excruciating negotiations on reform, the KP has said this…
By Kizito Sikuka The level of financial losses that Africa continues to lose from illegal activities and dealings in the mining sector is undermining sustainable development in the continent. “Our resources are being unjustly taken away from us to develop and improve other economies outside Africa,” TrustAfrica Programmes Director, Briggs Bomba said at the…
By Kizito Sikuka Africa must be vigilant in its negotiations with foreign investors to ensure that all mining deals are beneficial to the continent. At the same time, there is need to create a conducive environment to attract investment to Africa. This was said by Natty Davies, a former chairperson of the National Investment Commission…
By Kizito Sikuka African countries have begun the process of assessing whether its vast mineral resources are benefiting its citizens or outsiders. The assessment follows a realisation that despite the huge amount of mineral resources that is in abundance across the continent, African countries remain among the poorest in the world. In fact, the majority…
By Byron Mutingwende Firebrand Member of the House of Assembly for Norton, Temba Mliswa has called for formalisation of artisanal mining and clampdown on marauding criminals going by the moniker MaShurugwi who are unleashing violence and looting minerals in his constituency. “I have always advocated for formalisation and regularisation of small-scale and artisanal…
By Joyce Mukucha As Government focuses on mining as one of the vehicles of growth intended at transforming the Zimbabwean economy and attaining an Upper Middle-Income Economy by the year 2030, President Mnangagwa yesterday officially launched the Strategic Roadmap to the Achievement of US$12 billion mining industry by 2023. This represents a 344 percent increase…
The African Energy Chamber secured over $1.4bn in intentions to invest in Africa’s bankable projects in mining, oil & gas, power and renewables The African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org) has just concluded a one-week working visit in Beijing where it met with senior officials from the Chinese government, heads of state-owned energy companies, and executives and entrepreneurs…
By Tatenda Mujeyi Padenga Holdings Limited this week finalised acquiring a 50.1 controlling stake in Dallaglio Investments Private limited a mining firm at an extra ordinary general meeting in Harare. The acquisition is worth US$20 million with transaction structured around capital injection into the expansion of Dallagio’s operations. “The proposed transaction in which Padenga will…
