Shamva Mine priorities smart mining practices

SHAMVA Gold Mine says it is targeting to attain the lowest risk profile to the environment, surrounding communities, and personnel by employing smart sustainable mining activities.
This comes as the government is actively pushing for responsible mining through several initiatives.
Mining authorities are currently seized with implementing responsible mining principles, which will contribute towards sustainable mining as well as achieving carbon emission targets.

Shamva Gold Mine general manager, Gift Mapakame briefs the media during a tour of the mine in Shamva last week. Since taking over the mine from Metallon Gold in 2020, Kuvimba Mining House has injected US$15 million to revive underground operations and raised annual production to nearly 700 kgs. Picture by Freedom Mashava

The government holds a 65 percent stake in Kuvimba Mining House, which bought Shamva Mine from Metallon Gold in 2020. Shamva Mine has been processing at least 45 000 tonnes annually, and producing about 670kg of gold from its underground operations since the resumption of operations in 2020. For this year, Shamva Gold targets to produce 717kgs of gold.
The general manager of Shamva Gold, Gift Mapakame, told journalists touring the mine last week that Zimbabwe was in a new era where sustainability was now imperative.
“We want to make sure that our operation, whilst achieving its goals, has the lowest risk profile to the environment and communities around it. By so doing, we are basically creating value for stakeholders. We have quite a lot of stakeholders and this mining operation was established to satisfy and create value for them,” he said.
Mapakame said the mine was also prioritising exploration projects to further extend the mine’s life.
“We are further anticipating that the price of gold will continue to escalate. So, we still have an area that we are exploring both on the surface and underground. On the surface, we are exploring the main pit so that we can delineate another resource. Underground,we are exploring going to the east,” he said.

Since mining activities began at Shamva Mine in 1880, Mapakame said that around two million ounces of gold have been taken from the mine. However, he said, the mine still had a significant ore body.
“We probably have 142 million tonnes of ore body, which translates to around seven million ounces of gold in all the reserves that we still have here.
“We intend at a later stage to explore down below our current infrastructure capital, which is around 800 metres. That would be at a later stage because for us to develop a down-deep infrastructure we need more financial resources. It’s not yet a priority for now,” he said. newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw