Published: 7 hours ago

The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has pledged to speed up and improve fairness in the handling of mining disputes, with Minister Dr Polite Kambamura directing officials to eliminate delays and restore public confidence in the sector.

Addressing ministry officials, Dr Kambamura said the department must shift from slow administrative processes to a results-driven culture where correspondence, permits, and disputes are handled within set timeframes.

"I am setting before you a bold but achievable goal. By the close of this year, I want the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to be recognised as the best-performing ministry in the whole of Government, measured not by our words, but by results," he said.

He added that excellence should be treated as a discipline rather than an aspiration, stressing that delayed correspondence and unresolved mining disputes have no place in an efficient system.

The minister said the ministry must become one that "answers correspondence on time, processes titles and permits without delay, produces accurate data, resolves disputes fairly, and earns public trust."

His remarks come amid long-standing complaints from miners, particularly small-scale operators, over prolonged disputes involving claims, boundary conflicts, and mining rights, some of which have reportedly dragged on for months or years.

Dr Kambamura acknowledged that public confidence in the system had been eroded but said reforms were underway to restore credibility through strict accountability and improved performance monitoring.

He also urged miners to comply with regulations and avoid unnecessary litigation, warning that procedural failures and frivolous disputes were contributing to backlogs in the system.

The minister further directed the ministry's dispute resolution committee to clear all outstanding cases by the end of the second quarter, while ensuring that new disputes are resolved within statutory deadlines.

He warned that officials who deliberately delay or mishandle cases will face disciplinary action.

Miners who responded to the announcement welcomed the commitment but expressed cautious optimism, saying previous promises had not always been matched by implementation.

One small-scale miner from Kadoma said what the sector needs is faster resolution in practice, not just policy statements.

Dr Kambamura, however, insisted that the reforms would be enforced through a clear performance framework, with personal oversight of dispute outcomes and an emphasis on transparency and evidence-based decisions.

He said improving dispute resolution is essential for restoring trust and unlocking growth in Zimbabwe's mining sector, which remains a key pillar of the country's economic recovery strategy.
- Mining Zimbabwe

You might also want to read this

• Ministries decry severe underfunding
• Defence Ministry tops Mutare City debtors list
• Ministry of Health accused of cover-up
• Ministry clarifies extra lessons not illegal