OPINION: If Fundamentals In Mining Are Not Addressed, If MaShurugwi Are Not Reigned In, Chitando's US$12 Billion Exports By 2023 Is Just A Dream

An opinionist in the Sunday Mail has described the govt’s mineral strategic roadmap, which was launched by the president a few weeks ago, to have produced and exported $12 Billion worth of minerals by 2023 as a dream if the following fundamentals are not addressed according to him:

1. … the February 2019 policy by Government, in which miners get only 55 percent of their receipts in foreign currency, has seen much of the gold being diverted to the black market. It is alleged that foreign nationals use runners that buy gold directly from primary gold producers as well as the artisanal and illegal miners, who are dissatisfied with the Government policy
2. Primary producers also complain that at times, Fidelity Printers take long to release their funds, which causes them to struggle with their operations as the local currency component of the payment is eroded by inflation
3. Another major problem is the confusion on mining title ownership and title boundaries, something that should have been a thing of the past by now as it was one of the first things that Minister Chitando promised to deal with by putting up the cadastre system
4. Furthermore, Zimbabwe is under-explored. There is no adequate, official and scientific data on what exactly the belly of the country contains. Judging by this makorokoza menace, it seems there are minerals everywhere in this country. Therefore, it means when Government is negotiating with potential investors, some of whom are already in the country doing some work, they are doing so in darkness.
5. Electricity is also another major problem that has affected mining operations.

The opinionist also spoke about MaShurugwi being left unchecked as a serious threat to the mining industry as they pose a serious risk to the societies they operate in.

More: The Sunday Mail