Artisanal Miners Association urges government to extend mining formalisation deadline
The Zimbabwe Artisanal Miners Association has requested a six-month extension for the government's mining formalisation deadline. They argue that the current August 2026 cutoff is too restrictive for miners in remote areas who lack the necessary resources to comply.
Why it matters
The formalisation process is critical for Zimbabwe's tax revenue and mineral regulation, but rigid deadlines risk pushing thousands of small-scale miners into the illicit market.
THE Zimbabwe Artisanal Miners Association (ZAMA) has petitioned Mines Minister Polite Kambamura to extend the deadline for mining formalisation, warning that the tight timeframe risks sidelining thousands of small-scale miners operating in remote areas.
The Mines Ministry has set August 30, 2026, as the final deadline for mining title holders and operators to regularise outstanding obligations and formalise their operations, failing which they risk losing their rights.
The formalisation drive aims to curb illicit mineral trade, increase national tax revenues, and empower local indigenous citizens in the extractive sector.
However, in a letter to Kambamura, ZAMA national coordinator Elias Masuku said. At the same time, formalisation remained critical to the country’s economic development; the deadline could exclude many artisanal and small-scale miners who were still struggling to meet the new requirements.
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