HILLARY MUNEDZI
Young Miners for Economic Development (YMED) president, Nyasha Magadhi (pictured), has said the empowerment lobby group would support youths realise mining opportunities across the country.
In an interview with Business Times this week, Magadhi said YMED, which is an association of approved mine peggers, geologists and engineers, will assist youths across the country to contribute to the mining sector through free pegging, registration of claims for youths who want to venture into the mining industry and sourcing of the much required capital.
The call comes as Zimbabwe is targeting to achieve a US$12bn mining economy by the end of this year.
YMED, Magadhi said, aims to reposition the mining sector as an employer of choice for youths.
“As YMED we are a group of young people with different mining backgrounds. We are going to peg mining claims for the youth and also help them source capital to start mining,” Magadhi told Business Times.
He added: “We are also going to help other youths who may be interested in value addition and beneficiation of minerals with opportunities and capital by inviting investors to work with them. We support the position taken by the government to ban the export of raw minerals as this will open opportunities for young people.
“There are many youths in the country who are professionals in the mining industry. We are therefore calling them to join artisanal and small scale miners sub-sector and not wait to be employed by large scale producers.
Their involvement in the artisanal and small scale mining sub-sector will be of great significant in the industry’s revolution.
Magadhi said YMED will also be working with communities, identifying every district in the country by its mining opportunities.
“We are therefore going to offer communities with mining opportunities through pegging mining claims for them, offer training, looking for investors to work with the communities and ensuring that they venture into value addition and beneficiation of minerals.”
