Government shuts 11 gold millers

Zimbabwe’s ministry of mines has suspended 11 gold millers for failing to comply with production and marketing arrangements, an official said on Friday.

Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa told journalists that following a compliance monitoring and enforcement operation by the Reserve Bank’s exchange control department, a number of small-scale gold producers were found to be flouting regulations.

In January this year, Zimbabwe banned private gold sales after previously allowing miners to independently export their bullion, mainly to South Africa in a bid to help ramp up production.

It revived the operations of Fidelity Printers and Refinery, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and restored it as a sole buyer of gold.

“Some of the cases at our disposal include failure to keep mining records as required by law, with some found guilty of engaging in illegal gold sales,” he said.

Chidhakwa said some of the mines which had been suspended included Tarford Milling Centre, Hollies, Munyani River Ranch Mine, St Kilda 5 Mill, M. Mubayiwa Milling, Croco and Willow Ash Mine.

“The restoration of mining operations of these culprits will thus follow laid down processes of compliance,” he said.

Makwe 24 Mine of Gwanda, Flora Mine of Filabusi, Huggies 10 of Kadoma and Timsite Custom Milling of Bindura, have also been suspended.-The Source

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