Tendai Muererwa
Mutare – Young miners in Manicaland have been encouraged to strengthen their financial management skills and formalise their mining operations as part of efforts to build profitable, safe and sustainable mining enterprises.
The message was delivered during the Young Miners Foundation (YMF) workshop held at the Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences (MSUAS) under the theme, “Mining as a Business: Health and Financial Literacy in the Mining Sector.” The programme brought together young miners, government officials and industry stakeholders to promote responsible mining and sound financial practices.
Guest of honour, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Advocate Misheck Mugadza, said the country’s young miners have an important role to play in driving Zimbabwe’s economic transformation and should embrace mining as a serious business.
He applauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s development philosophy, “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo,” saying it places young people at the heart of national development and economic growth.
Mugadza urged miners to formalise their operations by registering their claims and companies, keeping proper financial records, paying taxes and reinvesting profits into expanding their businesses. “Government and my office are fully committed to the formalisation of miners. We will link you to training, markets and continue fighting corruption and illegal mineral dealers,” he said.
He also stressed the need for a Zero Harm approach in the mining sector, encouraging miners to use personal protective equipment (PPE), rehabilitate mined-out areas and prioritise the health and safety of workers.
The financial literacy component focused on budgeting, saving, investing, managing mining income and reducing financial risks. Participants also learnt the importance of keeping proper financial records and making informed business decisions.
Several young miners said they joined the workshop because they lacked the financial knowledge needed to grow their operations, while others cited limited access to capital as one of the biggest challenges affecting small-scale miners.
Young Miners Fedeation chief executive officer Pain Farai Kupfuwa said the organisation was working to change the perception that small-scale mining is merely a poverty-driven activity. “Small-scale mining should be taken as a business, not as a poverty-driven initiative. Our objective is to empower young people with the knowledge and skills needed to mine responsibly while improving their livelihoods,” he said.
YMF Manicaland chairperson Ngonidzashe Maobvera challenged participants to leave the workshop with practical business goals. “We are not here just as diggers; we are here as business people. Open a bank account, join a cooperative, attend training and put into practice what you have learnt. That is how we will grow together and build sustainable mining businesses,” he said.
