Staff Reporter
Harare – Planet Gold Zimbabwe will hold its first Annual Stakeholders Conference in Harare on October 27 and 28 under the theme “Building Together for a Sustainable Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Sector.”
Project Manager Nyaradzo Mutonhori said the conference will reflect on the project’s progress and set the tone for its second year.
“We will look back at what we have achieved, the lessons learnt, and the challenges faced. The meeting will also help us plan ahead as we roll out Binding Academies to provide technical support to artisanal and small-scale miners,” she said.
Mutonhori added that the Zimbabwe School of Mines will partner with the project in delivering technical training and support under the new phase.
The conference will also see the launch of Planet Gold Zimbabwe’s new publication, “Strengthening the Mines and Minerals Bill: Advancing Reforms for the Benefit of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners in Zimbabwe.”
The report highlights issues raised by small-scale miners and calls for their voices to be considered in the ongoing legislative review.
Planet Gold ASGM Technical Specialist Mollin Siwela said discussions will also touch on policy gaps in the 2025 Minerals Bill, particularly its silence on mercury use.
“Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Minamata Convention, so this was a missed opportunity to promote the reduction of mercury use and encourage safer technologies,” said Siwela.
Planet Gold Zimbabwe is a five-year project supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and executed by IMPACT in partnership with the Ministries of Mines and of Environment.
It seeks to reduce mercury use in small-scale gold mining the world’s largest source of human-caused mercury emissions while improving the health and livelihoods of miners.
In Zimbabwe, the project targets 7,500 miners across 11 mine sites, aiming to cut mercury use by 4.85 tonnes and improve management of 76,000 hectares of land over five years.
