Story by Tapiwa Machemedze
ZIMBABWE’s largest gold producer, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, has launched a formal engagement process to integrate artisanal miners operating at Special Mining Lease 21 popularly known as Kitsiyatota in Bindura, in line with government policy on inclusive growth in the mining sector.
The move seeks to promote lawful and safe coexistence between large-scale and small-scale miners, while restoring order, environmental management and operational safety at the site.
Mining Lease 21, formerly home to the Phoenix Prince Mine, has remained largely dormant since its acquisition by Freda Rebecca Gold Mine in 1988, leaving the area vulnerable to informal artisanal mining activities. While the site became a significant contributor to the local economy, it was also marked by environmental degradation, loss of life and frequent clashes with authorities.
Addressing hundreds of artisanal miners at the site on Wednesday, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine Managing Director Mr Patrick Maseva Shayawabaya said the company was not seeking to displace miners, but to regularise operations and create a stable framework that allows long-term investment and safer working conditions.
He said the company believes artisanal and conventional mining can coexist, provided operations are grounded in legality and safety. He stressed that formalisation would enable miners to operate without fear of eviction and reduce exploitation by illegal gold barons.
Artisanal miners welcomed the development, saying it offers security, predictability and protection from abuse.
They said the formal arrangement would allow them to plan for the future and operate without being subjected to extortion, noting that some miners had previously been forced to pay up to US$20 000 to informal syndicates.
Currently, 213 artisanal miners are actively operating at Mining Lease 21, while an additional 800 prospective miners have recently registered to work at the site.
Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, which operates under the Mutapa Investment Fund, has already implemented a similar coexistence model with more than 700 artisanal miners at its Elvington Mine in Chegutu.
As Zimbabwe targets a US$12 billion mining industry, the structured integration of artisanal miners with large-scale operators is increasingly viewed as critical to boosting gold output, improving safety standards and sustaining inclusive economic growth.
