MINERALS AND MINING

Small Scale Mining in Zimbabwe

Characteristics of Small Scale
Mining in Zimbabwe
Miners are not officially Employed
by a mining company
They sell their ore to established
mining companies
They work independently- Individuals,
groups, families or communities
No regular working hours
Most of the miners operate
illegally
Mainly involved in gold panning,
chrome or diamonds
Simple tools are use in extraction
and processing of minerals
Most miners work seasonally especially
the off peak agricultural season.
Contribution to the Economy
 Employment creation
About 600 000 registered and over 100
000 unregistered miners
 Generating revenue for the
government through selling of minerals
 Raising living standards, food security and
promoting development in rural areas.e.g. increased
capacity to farming communities to buy inputs
Homework- What are the Challenges
of small-scale mining in Zimbabwe?