Staff Reporter
The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has declared war on a new breed of illegal chrome miners operating under the cover of darkness, vowing to publicly identify and expose these offenders to protect legitimate small-scale miners.
Addressing the Chamber of Mines Annual Mining Conference and Exhibition last week, ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya described these clandestine operations, often utilising heavy machinery at night, as a dangerous “new cancer” plaguing the sector.
She urged Government to intervene on these well-resourced groups who conduct illegal mining on registered claims overnight.
“These are not just illegal miners, they are criminal entrepreneurs exploiting the system, undermining our livelihoods, and de-stabilising our mining communities.
“They operate with impunity, bringing in trucks and excavators after sundown. By dawn, major damage has already been done,” she said, pointing out that the chrome sector has been particularly affected, with ownership and production disputes exacerbated by weak enforcement and corruption, allowing these syndicates to blend in and unfairly stigmatise all small-scale miners.
She said the federation is lobbying the government to grant them a more prominent role in identifying and publicly exposing the perpetrators.
“ZMF believes that public shaming will act as a powerful deterrent and compel law enforcement and regulatory bodies to take decisive action.
“We are making a clarion call to the Minister to allow us to name and shame those new illegal miners who have overtaken us, stolen our identity, and caused a lot of damage,” she said.
Ms Rushwaya said the “name and shame” initiative is not a witch-hunt but a necessary protective measure for honest miners losing their livelihoods and faith in the regulatory system.
“There is need for greater collaboration between the Ministry of Mines, EMA, ZRP, and ZIMRA to ensure only compliant operators are allowed to work.
“Protecting legitimate miners is crucial for the formalisation, transparency, and value addition goals of Zimbabwe’s mining sector”
