Trymore Tagwirei

Zimbabwe’s Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development has urged government to implement sweeping reforms to promote responsible and sustainable practices in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, which now produces more gold than large-scale operations.

According to the committee’s report on responsible mining tabled on October 22, ASM has become the backbone of the country’s gold industry, contributing 23.7 tonnes in 2024, compared to 12.7 tonnes from large-scale miners.

“In the first quarter of 2025, small-scale miners delivered 5.7 tonnes, nearly double the 2.7 tonnes produced by large-scale operations. ASM plays a vital role in sustaining the economy, but its growth has come at a heavy environmental, social and safety cost,” the report noted.

The Committee said that while the ASM sector is crucial to Zimbabwe’s economy, it remains largely informal, unsafe and environmentally destructive. It found that more than 85 percent of the country’s estimated one million artisanal miners operate without registration.

Persistent issues such as mining disputes, unresolved claims, and the issuance of Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPOs) have restricted access to mining land. The report also observed that service centres such as Bubi and Chikukwa, established to support small-scale miners, have failed due to poor management and limited resources.

Safety concerns remain severe. In 2023, the mining sector recorded 212 accidents and 237 fatalities, with 75 percent of these occurring in the ASM subsector. Unsafe mining practices, including unsupported tunnels and the lack of protective equipment, have led to numerous collapses — particularly in towns such as Kwekwe.

The Committee also raised alarm over extensive environmental degradation caused by unregulated mining, citing rampant deforestation, river pollution and land destabilisation. Gold smuggling continues to drain national revenue.

Currently, Fidelity Gold Refiners (FGR) — the sole legal gold buyer — operates only 17 buying centres across the country, a gap that has encouraged illegal gold trading.

To address these challenges, the Committee recommended several reforms, including:

• Reviewing the Gold Trade Act by November 2025 to strengthen Fidelity’s monopoly as the sole legal buyer.
• Increasing funding for the implementation of the ASM Gold Strategy to formalise operations.
• Clearing mining licence backlogs by October 2025 to reduce illegal mining activities.
• Raising environmental fines beyond the current US$5,000 cap to deter offenders.
• Introducing tax incentives for responsibly mined gold.
• Expanding mercury-free gold processing projects in line with the Minamata Convention.

The report concluded that although artisanal and small-scale miners have outperformed large-scale operations in gold production, the sector’s lack of regulation poses serious risks to both economic stability and environmental health.

“Zimbabwe can maximise revenues from ethically sourced gold if artisanal miners are formalised and supported with proper infrastructure, training and oversight,” the committee said.