By Business Reporter – Tuesday 3 September 2019
HARARE (Mining Index) – PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to officiate at the inaugural Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) Annual General Meeting AGM) and exhibition pencilled for Gweru from the 10th -11th of September 2019.
In a circular, ZMF chief executive officer Wellington Takavarasha commented;
“It is an honour and privilege to notify you that the Guest of Honour for the 2019 ZMF inaugural Conference and Exhibition is His Excellency, the President of the 2nd Republic of Zimbabwe Cde E.D Mnangagwa who will grace the occasion.”
The event, to be co-hosted by ZMF in partnership with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development will be running under the theme “Revolutionizing the ASM sector through Formalization.”
Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube, Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi, Minister of State for Midlands Province Larry Mavima including Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura are some of the government officials expected to present.
Delegates attending the AGM can also expect presentations from ZMF President Henrietta Rushwaya, Chamber of Mines (C0MZ) President Elizabeth Nerwande, Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR) General Manager Fraderick Kunaka and Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) General Manager Tongai Muzenda among other presenters.
The conference, which is scheduled to take part at the Gweru Business Convention Centre, is expected to holistically align the artisanal and small scale miners in the mainstream economy in a sustainable and rationale manner.
Takavarasha said the AGM is anticipated to address formalisation of the artisanal and small scale mining sector, gender issues and miners with disability in Zimbabwe.
“We anticipate to regulate the decriminalization of gold so that there is growing confidence in the sector. More importantly is the formalisation of artisanal and small scale mining policies that put the ASM sector in the mainstream economy,” he said.
The mining sector has projected 40 tonnes of gold output by end of 2019, an increase from 34 tonnes produced in 2018 which saw the ASM sector contributing 22 tonnes, constituting 65 percent of total gold deliveries to FPR.
Investors, service providers, stakeholders, policy makers, government bodies, suppliers, manufacturers, mining houses, CoMZ members, law enforcement agencies, research institutes, training institutions, universities and colleges with bias towards mining will also feature during the event, alongside 50 ZMF affiliate associations, both at district and regional level. ENDS//
