Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
ZIMBABWE recorded gold deliveries exceeding four tonnes in April this year, reflecting a sharp rise largely driven by small-scale miners capitalising on favourable global commodity prices.
The surge was highlighted during a gold mobilisation workshop held on Wednesday, where stakeholders reported sustained growth in gold deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery, with small-scale miners contributing the bulk of the output.
Fidelity Gold Refinery General Manager, Mr Peter Magaramombe, confirmed the substantial increase in production.
“I can confirm that for April, gold deliveries reached over 3.8 tonnes from about 2.3 tonnes in March. This reflects an over 63 percent growth. What it means is that the gold miners are positively responding to the good global prices and the incentives that have been put in place to sustain viable operations,” he said.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wellington Takavarasha attributes the rise in production to government incentives.
“A lot of incentives have been unveiled to spur gold production and we hope that the trend will further accelerate confidence in the industry and given the existing incentives there is that aspect promised on increased output.”
Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Winston Chitando notes that the good global prices for the yellow metal have set the tone towards achieving a 40-tonne target by year-end.
“The main focus is on facilitating a favourable climate for the gold miners riding on the current strides as well as tapping into viable opportunities. Going forward, it is within the key aspects of boosting gold deliveries that have seen us deploying further mobilisation teams. Our core objective is to raise more of the precious commodity to sustain long-term production needs,” he said.
The gold mobilisation meeting created a platform to review the current mining operations, identify challenges and focus on possible solutions.
