Overall Provincial Profile
Masvingo seats in spatial extent on 56 566 square kilometres.
The province is situated in the south-eastern part of the country. It is further sub-divided into seven administrative districts namely: Bikita, Chiredzi, Chivi, Gutu, Masvingo, Mwenezi and Zaka.

The city of Masvingo is the provincial capital.-
Population total of 1 485 090 , aggregated as 697 992 Males and 787 098 females ( ZimStat 2012) .
The greater part of the province is located in the Lowveld and as a result it receives comparably less rainfall from the month of October to February.

Masvingo Provincial Mining Office

The offices are housed in Benjamin Burombo Building, Corner Robert Mugabe Way and Simon Mazorodze Avenue.

Address; P O Box 49, Masvingo, Zimbabwe.

Tel: 0392-265962/262972/262130/262973

Sections in Masvingo Provincial Mining Office

• Mining Engineering
• Geology
• Metallurgy
• Mining Cadastre
• Administration
• Accounts
• Mining Promotion and Development
• Human Resources
• Survey

Functions of key Sections

Geology

• Technical Assistance to Small Scale Miners
• Documentation of Geological information, Technical Reports
• Rock and Mineral Identification for Prospective Miners
• Field Mapping and Sample Collection
• Inspection of new applications for registration
• Mine audits
• Geological Library

Survey

• Underground mine surveys and plans
• Pre-egistration inspections for mining claims
• Surveys for resolving of mining disputes
• Inspection of Special Grants
• Processing of Siting of Works Plans
• Mine audits

Metallurgy

• Inspection of Custom milling plants and Elution plants for certification and recommendations
• Inspection of all Mineral processing plants for general compliance with regulations including material balance and accounting
• Inspection of Special Grants and Siting of Works Plans
• Export Samples Verification
• Inspection of base metal smelting plants and refiners from time to time for on-the-ground fact finding and updating
• Giving technical advice to mineral processors especially small to medium scale groups
• Issuance of Carbon Movement Permits
• Verification of Production returns [cyanidation, elution, custom milling log books]

Mining Engineering

• Inspection of mines with a view to enforce mining and explosives’ regulations
• Maintaining records on all mining equipment with special emphasis on hoisting ropes.
• Investigation of all serious and fatal mine accidents
• Conducting statutory and Blasting License examinations to supply competent personnel to the mining industry
• Attending to applications for exemptions/ relaxations from legal requirements
• Providing advice to Small Scale Miners on mining techniques, safety, health and environmental issues
• Inspecting and Approving all Explosives Storage Facilities
• Inspecting and recommending Siting of Works Plans as well as Special Grant applications
• Inspection and commissioning of plant, equipment, and boilers
• Appointment of Mine and Mill Managers
• Advising and providing mining loans and equipment

Mining Cadastre

• Implementing mining cadastre best practices in the Province
• Recommending and facilitating the registration and recording of mining claims, sites and mining leases
• Managing and capturing of alpha numeric data of cadastral documents on mining title registration and transfers
• Supervising and updating of database through the addition of every approved document.
• Coordinating of technical examination of cadastral documents, diagrams and maps
• Managing the processing of duplicate certificates, Special Grants applications and Tribute Agreements.
• Coordinating the investigation and assessing of mining disputes.

Minerals Found in Masvingo Province

No.	MINERAL	LOCATION
1	Agate	Gutu
2	Andalusite	Masvingo (Windcrest farm)
3	Barytes	Summertom (Mashava)
4	Coal	Chiredzi, Mkwasine,Triangle
5	Corundum	Mwenezi
6	Chromite	Mashava
7	Chalcopyrite	Renco Mine
8	Dolomite	Bikita, Masvingo
9	Gold	Mashava,Stopover,Felixburg,Renco,Ngundu
10	Fireclay	Chiredzi
11	Hematite (Iron ore)	Nyuni near Masvingo.
12	Kaolinite Clay	Chiredzi
13	Limonite Clay	Chiredzi
14	Lepidolite	Bikita Minerals(Bikita)
15	Pollucite	Bikita Minerals(Bikita)
16	Orthoclase	Bikita.
17	Serpentine	Mashava
18	Silver	All gold mines
19	Scheelite	Mashava(Summerton)
19	Tungsten	Bikita
21	Tantalite-columbite	Bikita
22	Wolfram	Gutu (Chikwanda)
23	Diamond	Mwenezi Chivi,Chiredzi, Devuli Ranch, Triangle.
24	Emerald	Gutu, Bikita
25	Alexandrite	Gutu

 

Important Minerals found in Masvingo

Gold – Gold mineralization is confined to greenstones and old granites as quartz veins intruding into shear zones (structurally controlled) eg Mashava, Masvingo, Felixburg areas. Besides the greenstones Gold is also found in the Limpopo Mobile belt of which Renco mine is the main producer. Gold mineralisation in the LMB is structurally controlled by a mylonitic shear zone system that formed as a second order structure. Mineralisation is based on reef zones bearing gold, bismuth, copper and sulphides which are located in granulite facies. The reefs are associated with very fine grained brown to white, laminated quartz + magnetite granulite.

 

Chrome- The Prince mine was first discovered by Rhodesia Chrome mines in 1928. ZIMASCO later on pegged the area.  The bulk of the occurrence are in the ultramafic rocks of the Shamvaian age and much older deposits from ultramafic remnants of the Sebakwian system. Chrome in Mashava is mainly found in podiform. Lumpy type of chrome is found in Masvingo. Detailed exploration is needed to fully quantify the resource.

Tantalite- The pegmatite fields were discovered in 1909 by a German named Henry Koestlich. The fields initially produced cassiterite from the alluvial gravels. Tantalite production remained small and in 1937 the first output of Tantalite was recorded. At present Bikita minerals has started to recover tantalite from the dumps.

Lithium -The largest lithium bearing area in Zimbabwe is that of Bikita Tinfields located about 65km east of Masvingo Province. Here the deposits are very rich and extensive and compare very favorably with those being exploited in other parts of the world. The pegmatite is about 1.6km long and its width varies from 29 to 64m which intruded into greenstones of the Bulawayan system at the Eastern end of the Victoria Schist Belt. It strikes north- north east and dips from 14⁰ to 45⁰ east. Lithium extraction since its inception in Bikita has soley been from open pitting.

Coal - Coal deposits in Masvingo province are located in the Limpopo- Save Basin which extends to Mozambique to the east, South Africa in the South and Botswana in the south west. The Limpopo- Save Basin is subdivided into 4 sub-basins namely the Tuli, Bubye, Runde and Save sub-basins. The Runde and Save sub- basins are within the Masvingo provincial boundaries. Areas situated within this area include Mkwasine, Chiredzi, Mwenezi south and Triangle. The area is a Brown field project. Coal resources in the province need to be quantified hence the need for systematic exploration.

Diamonds - Masvingo province has more clusters of Kimberlites compared to other provinces. However not much work on these Kimberlites have been done to ascertain their economic potential. It is still a green field area. Known Kimberlite areas include Sese, Devuli, Mwenezi and Triangle.

Big Mines in Masvingo Province

No.	NAME OF MINE	MINERAL	LOCATION	STATUS
1	Renco	Gold and Copper	Nyajena communa lands	Operating
2	Bikita Minerals	Lithium,Tantalite	Bikita	Operating
3	Empress Mine	Gold	Mashava	Operating
4	Lennox	Gold	Mashava	Not operating
5	Gaths Mine	Asbestors/Chrome	Mashava	Operating (Chrome)
6	King Mine	Asbestors/Chrome	Mashava	Operating(Chrome)
7	ZIMASCO	Chrome	Mashava	Has claims but currently not exploiting them

 

Mining titles offered

• Ordinary /Special Prospecting Licence under Part IV of the Mines and Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05)
• Exclusive Prospecting order under Part VI
• Mining lease under Part V11
• Special Mining Lease under Part IX
• Special Grant under Part XIX

 

 

Application details required

1. Ordinary /Special Prospecting Licence under Part IV

• Full Name and Address, Payment of applicable fees
• For individuals –applicant to be above 18 years old and national identification document required
• For companies –certificate of incorporation and CR14.

2. Exclusive Prospecting order under Part VI

• Proposed work programme, area of description, certificate of incorporation, details of Directors, company shareholding structure

3. Mining lease under Part V111

• List of minerals to be mined, sketch plan of area, details of reef blocks in the area, list of mining locations contained, name and address of land owner

4. Special Mining Lease under Part IX

• List of minerals to be mined, sketch plan of area, details of reef blocks in the area, list of mining locations contained, name and address of land owner, development plan, operational plan of proposed mine

5. Special Grant under Part XIX

•  Sketch plan of area, work programme

6. Special Grant under Part XX

•  Full information of financial status, full information of technical expertise, particulars of guarantees, mineral to be mined, sketch plan of area; for a company, full names, nationality of directors, work programme

Procedure and Rrequirements for Acquiring Mining Title

• When a Prospecting Licence holder has identified a mineral deposit that she is interested in, she appoints an agent or an Approved Prospector to peg on her behalf.

• The Agent is required to physically peg the area by marking the deposit with a discovery peg. He or she should also post Prospecting, Discovery and Registration notices on the ground. The notices must be posted in conspicuous manner to alert other prospectors.

 

• Before posting these notices the agent is required to inform or seek consent from the landowner of his intention to prospect. Note that a consent letter is only sought from the landowner if prospecting on a farm less than 100 hectares, otherwise the prospector is only required to inform the farm/land owner in writing either by registered mail or by hand delivery
• All areas classified as not open to prospecting and pegging or reserved against prospecting and pegging cannot be pegged, for example cultivated land /arable land, dip tanks, dams
• Each prospecting licence can peg up to a maximum of 10 claims of 1 hectare each.
• An application for registration mast be submitted to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Provincial Office. The application must have copies of the following attachments

1. Prospecting license
2. Prospecting Notice
3. Discovery Notice (Base Minerals)
4. Notification of intention to prospect to the landowner
5. A map in triplicate to the scale of 1:25 000

• If the Provincial Mining Director is satisfied that all pegging procedures have been followed, he shall issue a certificate of Registration upon payment of the gazetted fee. This allows the holder to start mining operations subject to meeting other obligations like Environmental Impact Assessment. (EIA)
• Within six months from the date of registration the miner is required to obtain renewal of title. Claims have a 12-month tenure after which they shall expire or be renewed.
• Failure to renew title will result in the forfeiture of a mining claim. Furthermore, loss of a title can be through cancellation or abandonment