The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development has called for urgent reforms to improve responsible mining in Zimbabwe’s artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, which now produces more gold than large-scale miners.
Presenting the Committee’s report on responsible mining, Hon. Edmond Matangira said artisanal and small-scale miners had become the backbone of Zimbabwe’s gold production, contributing 23.7 tonnes in 2024 compared to 12.7 tonnes from large-scale producers. In the first quarter of 2025, ASM output stood at 5.7 tonnes against 2.7 tonnes from large mines.
The Committee acknowledged the sector’s economic contribution but warned that growth has come at significant environmental, social, and safety costs. “While ASM is critical to the fiscus, the operations remain largely informal, unsafe, and environmentally destructive,” the report noted.
Key findings revealed that more than 85% of the estimated one million artisanal miners operate without registration. Mining disputes, unresolved claims, and Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPOs) were said to be limiting access to land, while abandoned service centres such as Bubi and Chikukwa failed to deliver promised support due to poor management.
The Committee also raised concerns over high accident rates, with 212 mine accidents and 237 fatalities recorded in 2023, 75% of which occurred in the ASM sector. Environmental impacts were also highlighted, including deforestation, water contamination, and structural risks from unsafe tunnels in towns such as Kwekwe.
Gold smuggling remains a major challenge. The Zimbabwe Miners Federation admitted that significant leakages continue through South Africa, Zambia, and Mozambique, driven by black market prices and weak enforcement. Fidelity Gold, the sole legal buyer, reported having only 17 buying centres nationwide, a factor encouraging illegal sales.
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The Committee made several recommendations, including:
Reviewing the Gold Trade Act to strengthen Fidelity’s role as sole buyer by November 2025.
Allocating more resources for the implementation of the ASM Gold Strategy to formalize the sector.
Clearing licensing backlogs by October 2025 to reduce illegal mining.
Increasing environmental fines above the current USD5,000 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 ASM gold mining has outperformed large-scale mining, but without proper regulation, it risks undermining both the economy and the environment. “Zimbabwe can maximize revenues from ethically sourced gold if artisanal miners are formalised and supported with safer, sustainable practices,” the Committee said.
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