By Kovedzayi Takawira
HARARE – Zimbabwe is making significant strides in reducing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, with officials confirming that the country is ahead of schedule in implementing the Planet Gold Project compared to other participating nations.
Speaking at the sidelines of a two-day workshop held this week, Planet Gold Zimbabwe Project Manager, Nyaradzo Mutonhori, said the initiative, introduced in November 2024, is seven months into its implementation and already rolling out advanced components meant for later stages of the program.
“We are implementing an action plan on the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Our big component is training artisanal miners to use mercury-free technologies and create alternative gold processing mechanisms,” said Mutonhori.
“We are actually ahead of schedule in comparison to other members—we are introducing components in year two of the program during year one. This is a five-year project, so we have a longer period to assess the amount of mercury being reduced in the sector,” she added.
The project is conducting site profiling in all 11 targeted districts, part of efforts to phase out mercury in gold processing.
Zimbabwe Miners Federation CEO, Wellington Takavarasha, said awareness campaigns were underway to sensitise miners about the imminent global restrictions on mercury use.
“A round robin has already started and people are being made aware that they should stop the use of mercury because there will come a time when even the manufacturers will stop producing it. We already have five countries that are into mercury production and have been given time to wind down their operations,” Takavarasha said.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty aimed at curbing mercury pollution, mandates signatory states to eliminate or reduce mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, control emissions, and phase out mercury in products such as batteries and cosmetics.
Zimbabwe signed the convention on October 11, 2013, and ratified it on August 19, 2021, becoming the 133rd party to the agreement
Mercury exposure can cause severe neurological, developmental, and kidney damage, with vapours inhaled during gold processing and contaminated tailings entering waterways and food chains as methylmercury.
By accelerating mercury-free technologies through the Planet Gold Zimbabwe Project, authorities hope to protect mining communities, safeguard downstream ecosystems, and position the country to fully meet its Minamata obligations before tighter global supply curbs on mercury take hold.
