Itai Ndongwe
HARARE – Mutapa Gold Resources’ subsidiary, Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, invest US$1.2 million in a new state-of-the-art laboratory after becoming Zimbabwe’s first gold mining operation to attain ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, a milestone expected to strengthen exploration, mine planning and production efficiency.
The Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS) on Tuesday presented the certification to Freda Rebecca, making the mine the first gold producer in Zimbabwe to receive the internationally recognised laboratory accreditation.
The certification covers chemical analysis—the core laboratory function used to determine ore grades, guide exploration decisions, support mine planning and validate bullion for commercial transactions. It is valid until 15 March 2031.
Freda Rebecca General Manager Prof. Alfred Chinyere said the company had already begun constructing a new laboratory to support the mine’s expansion plans.
“The construction process has already started, so we are expecting that in about four months, in the fifth month, we should be able to commission this lab,” Chinyere said.
“Typically we are going to be spending about US$1.2 million in the construction of that lab.”
He said the current laboratory was no longer suitable because of its location near the milling plant, where dust could affect operations.
“It’s close to a dusty environment, and it’s also close to our mills. So we feel that to create a good environment, we want to expand it, and we also want to give it a very good location,” he said.
The new facility will accommodate additional equipment alongside machinery transferred from the existing laboratory, providing a larger and safer working environment with improved environmental controls.
“What this does is that it will further have a very safe workplace, roomy, where our machines can actually sit. Economics becomes an improved issue, safety becomes an improved issue as well,” Chinyere said.
Mutapa Gold Resources Chief Executive Officer Patrick Shayawabaya said the investment was essential to support the mine’s growing operational requirements.
“What we’re doing now is constructing a new lab because the one that we’ve got is too small to service our current needs and also for the future, so we’re replacing that,” Shayawabaya said.
He said the accreditation reinforced confidence in the integrity of the mine’s technical data.
“Strengthening of systems in a mining setup is very important because the laboratory is at the centre of everything that we do. It informs decision-making on exploration, mine planning and production. If the lab is not operating optimally, you’ll have countless problems.”
“That’s why this accreditation is very important for us. It gives us confidence that information coming out of our lab is credible, and the processes used to generate that information are internationally recognised.”
The expanded laboratory will support Freda Rebecca’s exploration programme, for which the company has nearly tripled expenditure to almost US$8 million
SADCAS Chief Executive Officer Dr Eve Gadzikwa said the accreditation demonstrated the mine’s commitment to internationally accepted quality standards.
She noted that as of 31 May 2026, SADCAS had issued 442 certificates of accreditation to 365 facilities across the region, including five certificates outside the SADC region.
ISO/IEC 17025 is the globally recognised standard for testing and calibration laboratories and is increasingly required by regulators, financiers and mineral buyers to verify the reliability of laboratory results.
