The Minister of Mines and Mining Development Walter Chidhakwa has encouraged miners to become entrepreneurs to develop mining into profit making during the official opening of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) in Harare today.
The Minister said that the miners should not wait for other professions such as economists but to develop the sector themselves.
“Drive the sector even as entrepreneurs on your own,” said Chidhakwa.
Zimbabwe has a huge and highly diversified mineral resource base dominated by two prominent geological features namely the famous Great Dyke and the ancient Greenstone Belts, also known as Gold Belts according to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development website.
Chidhakwa also addressed on small scale miners who have increased in the country recently.
“44 percent of our gold is coming from the small scale miners,” said the Minister.
Chidhakwa also said that the small scale miners were supposed to use methods that are cost effective. Zimbabwe’s small scale miners have been having problems in developing into large corporations. SAIMM acts as a corporate voice for the mining and metallurgical industry in the Southern African economies. The corporate voice is currently holding a 2-day conference with the theme “Building a robust mineral industry” at the Cresta Lodge.
