- Mines Minister Winston Chitando has assured legislators that the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill would be ready for presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines by September 17.
Addressing MPs during a virtual conference organised by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) on issues of transparency and accountability in the mining sector, Chitando said: “The Ministry of Mines and the Attorney-General’s Office will now go through the Mines and Mineral Act amendments and if there are areas that are not captured correctly, they will be amended.”
“Thereafter, we will be in a position to present the draft amendments to the Mines Committee and as the ministry we should be ready after September 17,” he said. Source: Newsday
- THE shock decision by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) to grant two Chinese mining firms the greenlight to drill and explore for coal in the giant Hwange National Park was a directive from Tourism minister Mangaliso Ndlovu and had the blessing of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, fresh details have emerged.
In a move that sparked national outrage, government awarded licences to Zhongxin Coking Company Mining Group and Afrochine Smelting to conduct geological surveys, paving way for large-scale coal extraction inside the heart of the wildlife park, which generates millions of dollars annually in tourism receipts.
Following intense criticism from wildlife watchdogs, environmentalists and the general public, government this week dramatically caved in to pressure, and reversed its decision to allow the Chinese mining firms to mine coal in the national park, which is a habitat to 10% of Africa’s elephants. Source: Zimbabwe Independent - The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC)’s recent publication of its annual reports is a sign that the diamond sector is well on course towards achieving transparency in line with international best practice.
In an interview, ZCDC head public relations Mr Sugar Chagonda, said the State diamond miner’s latest move is informed by the need to follow tenants of the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.
Audited reports for Zimbabwe’s diamond sector had last been made public in 2013 amid accusations, back then, that the sector was shrouded in secrecy to abet corrupt practices.
However, and in line with the New Dispensation’s thrust to anchor economic revival on the back of the mining sector underpinned by a 2023 milestone by which mineral exports are set to top US$12 billion, the Government is now pursuing a more transparent diamond mining industry. - Five employees of Task Mine Syndicate just outside Chegutu town, were on Tuesday night trapped underground after the shaft they were working in collapsed.
Chegutu district co-ordinator and Civil Protection Unit head, Mr Tariro Tomu, who visited the mine yesterday said the accident occurred around 4.30 pm when the five were extracting ore in level four, which is about 110 metres underground. Inspectors from the Ministry of Mines’ Chinhoyi office rushed to the mine that evening to assess the situation.
“Rescue efforts were put on hold on Tuesday since it was dark and underground plans for the mine were not available making it risky and dangerous.”
But the reports from mine inspectors showed that there were chances that the five miners would survive. Source: The Herald - The value of diamond miner De Beers’ rough diamond sales, which include global sightholder sales and auctions, for the sixth and seventh sales cycles of this year, amounted to $116-million and $320-million, respectively.
CEO Bruce Cleaver says diamond markets showed some continued improvement throughout August and into September as Covid-19 restrictions continued to ease in various locations.
The improvement was also the result of manufacturers being focused on meeting retail demand for polished diamonds, particularly in certain product areas, he notes.
Source: Mining Weekly
