'Zimbabwe to ban gold stamp mills'

THE Government is set to ban the use of stamp mills for gold processing in the country as a way of promoting environmentally friendly production and efficiency in the sub sector.

Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development Fred Moyo revealed this in Zvishavane last Friday during the Zimbabwe Miners Federation General Meeting.

The Deputy Minister cited a number of reservations against the use of stamp mills, which he said should be replaced by modern technologies.

"As a way of promoting the gold sector, the Government has proposed the ban on the use of stamp mills in the processing of gold. Internationally they (stamp mills) have been banned because stamp mills promote use of mercury," he told delegates.

"Mercury is known as a dangerous metal chemical with long term effects on the health of human beings and all species. Also on economic aspects stamp mills have low and poor gold recovery, which is below 30 percent meaning that millers are the biggest beneficiaries in the game. Small scale miners will remain poor and it will take long time for them to grow."

Deputy Minister Moyo urged miners to adopt the use of modern technologies like ball mills and hammer mills, which fall under appropriate technologies.

He said this will help the miners to develop and raise the country's gold bullion.

"Let us adopt new technologies, which give recoveries of 60 percent and above such as modern ball mills and some appropriate technologies like hammer mills which are better and affordable.

"As the Government we are going to support such technologies in order to boost the gold bullion in the country and also help the small scale miners develop," he said.

Stamp mills in Zimbabwe process at 1 450 microns size compared to appropriate technologies like hammer mills, which process at 400 microns - three times more than a stamp mill, according to a report by Midlands Metals, which was approved by the Zimbabwe School of Mines.