The Department was established in 1923 following the disbandment of British South African Company, which was a mining company that owned mining rights in the then Rhodesia.
The Department of Mining Engineering is a regulatory department which is headed by the Chief Government Mining Engineer who is also the chief Inspector of Explosives and reports to the Principal Director Technical Services.
To promote sustainable mining practices and management through regulation of mining industry for the purpose of creating safe and health mine environment
Enforcement of all mining statutes, to ensure a safe and healthy mine environment according to the Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21.05] and the Explosives Act [Chapter10:08] and the subsidiary legislation such as the Mining (Management and Safety) Regulations and the Explosive Regulations.
Monitoring and controlling of all mining activities through inspections of operations and investigation of mine accidents.
Providing professional and technical advisory services to the Mining Industry with special attention towards small scale mining for the development of the sector.
Mining Engineering Department is one of the technical departments in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development specifically set up to deal with engineering aspects on a mining location. In order to discharge its functions, the department has sections involved in the following fields in all the provinces: