The Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) in partnership with the Gold Development Initiative Fund has come up with an outreach programme targeting six mining districts aimed at imparting artisanal and small-scale miners with the requisite skills to enhance their mining expertise.
The seven day Fundamentals of Mining course, which is being offered for free by ZSM, will be decentralised to the mining districts in order to reach out to more miners.
Speaking during a gold mining conference organized by Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR) in Bulawayo yesterday, Mr. Thamani Moyo Head of Department for distance learning in ZSM said that the programme is aimed at reducing traveling costs for miners based outside of Bulawayo.
“The school has been running the courses at the campus, but because of the busy schedules of the miners and the traveling costs, the school is decentralizing this programme to reach out to more miners at their various mining district centres with emphasis to the practical aspects of the training,” he said.
“The aim of the course is to equip the non-mining trained professional with skills of managing mineral resources and to appreciate, understand the mining business”.
Moyo added that they included an extra module tailor made for women miners.
Ms Eunice Murefu, a small-scale miner from Filabusi said the course will help women miners strengthen their skills.
“I happy that they have decided to come to teach us in our mining because it will go a long way in equipping my workers in my mine and the extra module for women will enable us as women to strengthen our skills like men in this same business,” she said.
Small scale miners have taken over from large scale miners in terms of gold deliveries to the country`s sole gold buyer, Fidelity Printers and Refiners.
In the month of August, small scale gold producers delivered 3.03 tonnes of the 3.92 tonnes gold delivered to Fidelity Printers and Refineries while large scale miners chipped in with 0.89 tonnes.
