A new gold formalisation project in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe District is expected to transform an area long associated with gold smuggling into a regulated mining hub while bringing hundreds of artisanal miners into the formal economy.
The initiative, launched by the Zimbabwe Miners Federation at Ball Mine in Chitsungo, Mashonaland East, is projected to employ about 1,000 small-scale miners by May while strengthening oversight of gold production in the border district.
The project is being implemented through ZMF’s special purpose vehicle FS Mining following a tribute agreement with Chinese operator Anhua Chenxi, which currently runs the mine.
Under the arrangement, the partners will manage 11 mining blocks covering about 430 hectares, creating a structured mining cluster where extraction, processing and gold sales will take place within a coordinated system.
Authorities say the model aims to boost productivity while reducing gold smuggling, which has long affected Zimbabwe’s mining revenues.
To strengthen monitoring, plans are in place to establish an on-site gold buying office operated by Fidelity Gold Refinery, as well as a police post run by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
ZMF president Henrietta Rushwaya said the Ball Mine initiative would serve as a pilot project for formalising artisanal mining across the country.
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“We are very proud to embark on an exercise which will benefit locals,” she said during a recent site visit.
“This is a case study that we are doing as ZMF, which we intend to replicate throughout the whole country.”
Registration of miners is already underway, with about 400 people having signed up so far. The federation expects the number to reach around 1,000 by May once recruitment is completed.
Authorities are also vetting applicants in collaboration with law enforcement agencies to ensure individuals with criminal records and illegal mining syndicates are excluded.
Preparations for operations are underway, with mining equipment expected to arrive by mid-March. Trial operations are scheduled for March 20–21, while full production is expected by late June or early July.
Beyond mining, the project is also expected to support local economic activity, with women in nearby communities set to benefit from supply and service contracts such as catering, mining apparel and other support services.
Zimbabwe’s small-scale mining sector produces the largest share of the country’s gold output but has also been linked to significant mineral leakages due to smuggling and informal trading.
Authorities hope the Ball Mine cluster model will help increase official gold deliveries and strengthen accountability in the sector.
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