The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
The GOVERNMENT will commission a gold service centre at Jumbo Mine in Mazowe next month in a development expected to help formalise operations of artisanal miners.
Addressing players from the sector at the official launch of the Mashonaland Central chapter of the Miners for Economic Development (Miners4ED) in Mazowe, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said the gold processing centre will immensely benefit miners in the province.
“By commissioning the processing centre, Government will be able to collect revenue through the central bank to enable development of the economy through mining activities. We will, therefore, address the issue of illegal mining that has been happening here for a very long time. We are going to formalise operations of artisanal miners and the gold centre is the best way to do that.”
He said artisanal miners should register under the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) to formalise their activities.
“This formalisation they have started will allow Government to regulate your operations because illegal mining activities are causing us to lose revenue,” he added.
ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said formalisation of artisanal miners will significantly contribute to the economy.
“ZMF fully supports the President’s vision of an upper middle-income economy by 2030. The creation of Miners4ED and formalisation of illegal mining will bring positive changes to the gold sector, as violence will be eliminated and proper channels will be followed when mining.
“By having such a gold service centre, miners will be able to process quality gold and get the best returns from the yellow metal.”
Meanwhile, a youth leader has called on young graduates who have completed training at tertiary institutions to be innovative and unlock massive opportunities that are being provided by President Mnangagwa’s Government.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Zimbabwe Young Graduates and Youth Development Forum (ZYGYDF) director for information and publicity Mr Francis Mufambi said the organisation, set to be officially launched soon, encourages youths to look beyond their paper qualifications and focus on detecting economic activities that will uplift their lives.
“Our vision is to produce and inspire postgraduate and skilled youths who can identify opportunities within the economy and make use of them. We also seek to create a youth who has a full understanding of our history, our present and, indeed, our intended trajectory as a nation,” he said.
Mr Mufambi said President Mnangagwa’s policies are springboards for youths to launch themselves for success and play a prominent role in the attainment of Vision 2030.
“Our history helps us to understand the challenges we bear today and their causes. Our intended trajectory lies in the President’s vision; in National Development Strategy 1, Vision 2030 and in the timeless mantra “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”
He said ZYGYDF seeks to connect skilled youths to the economy and unbundle success of the Second Republic.
“The organisation, therefore, seeks to provide a platform where we can empirically assess successes achieved since 2018 and build on those as a generation.
“As our fathers and mothers brought about political independence in 1980, we are here to support them in bringing about economic independence through home-grown solutions and endeavours,” he said.
Mr Mufambi added: “Our purpose is not to reinvent the wheel but to complement all patriotic efforts that have been there before ours.
“We have partnered with various stakeholders from the public and private sectors and have been able to do free medical outreaches, free skills impartation such as conversion of maize cobs into charcoal, fence-making and rudimentary business management,” he said.
