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Minister of Mines and Mining Development Honourable Winston Chitando has said his ministry is working round the clock to update the computer based system for mining title management.Minister Chitando exclusively revealed to Technomag that the ministry had purchased
some of the gadgets required to modernise the mining cadastre system.
Speaking to TechnoMag, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said,
”My ministry under the astute leadership of his Excellency President ED Mnangagwa is successfully moving toward the attainment of a USD$12 Billion Mining Economy by 2023 and already on the ground the country has attained a USD$8 billion dollar economy by year end (2022). We also have purchased some of the gadgets required to modernise the mining cadastre
system toward the President’s ultimate middle income economy vision.”
Chitando also told Cabinet that his , ” Mining ministry was in the process of updating mining title
information and registration per province.”
Analysts believe as the country modernises the system
it is important to recognise and address the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders.This can be made possible through adequate consultation.Stakeholders like mining companies, artisanal and small-scale miners,
farmers, landowners, civil society, communities affected by mining, various Government
departments and other key stakeholders with interest or affected in any way by mining stand to benefit immensely from Minister Chitando’s computer based mining infrastructure for mining title management covering information and all registrations amongst many responsibilities of this IT system.
Failure to manage expectations, especially on access to
mining title and dispute resolution, has been the major cause of chaos in the mining
sector, which hindered the Government’s ability to translate mineral wealth to development.
In light of this, Reserve bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr John Panonetsa Mangudya has provided $1,6billion earmarked for mining cadastre rollout which is the computer-based system after Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli ncube announced the provision in his National 2023 Budget to finalise the rollout of the mining cadastre system across the country’s remaining nine provinces
following its implementation in Manicaland in July last year.
A sophisticated computer-based system for mining title management, the mining cadastre is expected
to enhance transparency and accountability in the administration of mining titles. This
system will store all records of interest in the land such as licence holders’ rights,
restrictions and Government activities.
Professor Mthuli Ncube , in his 2023 national budget said,
“Accordingly, in support of the aforesaid programme (mining cadastral), an amount of
$1,6 billion has been set aside under the 2023 National Budget for that purpose”
“A computer-based cadastre mining system adopted by the Government provides instant
and up-to-date information on mining claims status including ownership of mining
claims. This initiative is expected to provide impetus to the realisation of the US$12
billion mining industry by the year 2023.”
Minister Chitando’s Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is strategically important to Zimbabwe given it generates more than three quarters of the country’s annual foreign currency earnings and accounts for the second
largest share of gross domestic product (GDP) after agriculture.
This computerised mining register is also expected to be the central database for storage
of information on applications and licences. It will also reduce processing time for the
issuance of mining titles and other mining services in line with best practices across the
globe.As it stands, mining licence separations are marked on the ground by metal stakes,
concrete beacons or some other fixed points surveyed using conventional methods such
as theodolite or archaic methods involving tape and chains.
This powerful computer-based system also provides an efficient and
transparent system for the management of mineral tenements and licenses, leases and
permits, consistent with the Mining and Quarrying Laws of the island. The system will also provide
guidelines for appropriately formatted data, maps and reports for internal and external
users.
Chitando’s new system will provide various levels of security and access to the information,
reflecting the various functional roles in the administration of mining licenses.Its security tools would preserve the confidentiality of the information against human
errors, unauthorised access and unforeseen circumstances.
As some analysts believe, there is no doubt once complete, the system will bring transparency
in licensing of claims and improve management of mining titles, critical for attracting
investment in the sector. Minister Chitando has revolutionized mining by digitizing it as its current influx of investment can be doubled or tripled in the
next five years if all claims are accounted for.His computer system has since been successfully rolled out in Manicaland Province and is expected
to be fully operational across the country’s remaining nine provinces during 2023.
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