Source: Chinese firm begins gold, copper search in Bikita – herald
George Maponga-Masvingo Bureau
A Chinese mining firm, Twiza, has begun exploration for gold and copper in Devuli Ranch on the northern fringes of the vast, wildlife‑rich Save Valley Conservancy in Bikita.
The exploration is taking place at the Mkondo Block, which is owned by the Bikita Rural District Council.
Prospects of a significant mineral discovery in Mkondo are considered high, as Twiza is conducting exploration in a former mining area with old shafts indicating previous extraction of gold and copper.
Bikita RDC is hopeful that the venture will boost its revenue base, if a commercial discovery is confirmed.
The local authority has already partnered with a private investor in a safari‑hunting venture at Mkondo, which is helping council rake in tens of thousands of dollars in hard currency annually.
Bikita RDC chief executive officer Engineer Anold Mtuke said the council was exploring various avenues to expand revenue generation and improve service delivery in line with President Mnangagwa’s call for local authorities to play a stronger role in achieving Vision 2030.
According to Eng Mtuke, the council stands to accrue revenue should a commercial mineral resource be confirmed at Mkondo.
“Currently, there is a Chinese investor (Twiza) involved in exploration work at Mkondo in Devuli Ranch, which falls under the Save Valley Conservancy, and results of samples taken from the area have not yet been released to establish whether there is a commercial discovery that will pave the way for mining of either copper or gold,” he said.
“As council, we are keeping our fingers crossed, because if a commercial discovery is confirmed we will be guaranteed increased revenue from taxes due to us as a local authority. Any investment will also create jobs and stimulate the local economy.”
Eng Mtuke noted that the council was also looking forward to the opening of the 2026 trophy‑hunting season at Mkondo.
“We have a joint venture with a private investor at Mkondo where, besides the mineral exploration taking place, we have a safari‑hunting business which attracts trophy hunters from all over the world. The safari‑hunting season opens in April every year, and as a local authority we have been raking in substantial revenue from the partnership.”
The Bikita RDC chief executive said the council was awaiting this year’s hunting quota for Mkondo from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
However, mining is seen as a sector with significant potential to widen the district’s revenue base, as Bikita is also rich in coal and diamonds.
Bikita District is Masvingo Province’s mining hub, largely because it is home to the country’s biggest lithium mine, Sinomine Bikita Minerals.
The lithium miner is undergoing massive expansion after Sinomine injected more than US$300 million into expanding mineral extraction and constructing spodumene and petalite processing plants.
Meanwhile, Bikita RDC has been making progress in improving service delivery through infrastructure development, including the construction of new schools, clinics and roads, as well as the drilling of boreholes to supply clean drinking water to rural communities.
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