By Nigel Tawanda Pfunde
Victoria Falls- THE Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has announced plans to expose individuals involved in unauthorized chrome mining activities, Timely News can report.
ZMF president Henrietta Rushwaya said the looters take cover of night and nicodemusly bring excavators with the backing of a syndicate led by Chinese nationals and local proxies who get a ‘cut’.
She made the clarion call to Minister Winston Chitando during a plenary session at the Chamber of Mines Conference in Victoria Falls on Thursday.
Honourable Chitando is on record for not tolerating such practice.
“We cannot continue to tolerate these night-time operations while legitimate miners are left fighting over scraps. Mines that should support families for a decade are now being looted in two to three years. If no one is willing to speak up, we as ZMF will,” she said.
The ZMF President also called for increased cooperation between the Ministry of Mines, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to ensure that only those complying with regulations are allowed to operate.
“If we are serious about formalisation, transparency, and value addition, we must protect our own,” she said. “Let this be the turning point.”
Her remarks were met with wide approval from delegates.
This initiative comes in response to a surge in nocturnal mining operations that are causing significant environmental degradation and safety hazards.
The ZMF president expressed deep concern over the increasing frequency of these illicit activities, noting that they not only violate mining regulations but also endanger the lives of miners and surrounding communities. She emphasized the federation’s commitment to collaborating with law enforcement agencies to identify and take action against the perpetrators.
The federation’s decision to “name and shame” is aimed at deterring illegal mining practices by holding offenders accountable in the public eye.
Rushwaya highlighted that such measures are necessary to preserve the integrity of the mining sector and protect the environment from further harm.
Rushwaya emphasised that ZMF’s proposed name-and-shame initiative is not a witch-hunt but a protective measure for honest miners who are losing ground and confidence in the sector’s regulatory framework.