Zimbabwe cracks down on rogue miners, suspends licences

TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA

HARARE – Government has announced a crackdown on rogue miners who flout the country's mining and environmental laws, saying it will impose fines, confiscate explosives and suspend operating licences.

Mining laws in Zimbabwe and miners licences

Government has moved to suspend licences for rogue miners in violation of mining and environmental laws

The move follows a Responsible Mining Audit launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on May 11, 2023, to ensure that all mining operations comply with the country's laws and regulations.

The audit covered 422 mining sites in eight of the country's 10 provinces and found that most small-scale mines, with a labour force of up to 200 employees, were not complying with the legal transportation and licensing issues.

“In all the identified transgressions, corrective action is taken including the following: imposition of fines; confiscation of explosives; suspensions from operating licences; cautions with instructions to regularise within a stipulated time frame,” Information Minister Jenfan Muswere said during post-cabinet press briefing.

He said the audit also came up with a number of useful recommendations, which the government is implementing, and that an inter-ministerial committee should continue to develop other solutions.

Muswere said large-scale mines, with at least 1,000 employees, were largely complying with mining laws, environmental laws, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, immigration, labour and energy regulations, but there were isolated cases where immigration laws were being violated.