Zimbabwe has found ‘huge’ diamond and gold targets in Mwenezi and Chiredzi following an aero-magnetic survey, according to the state-owned media.
Masvingo provincial affairs and devolution minister Ezra Chadzamira was quoted by The Herald as saying that the diamond and gold targets were identified around the Chingwizi area at Nuanetsi Ranch and northern parts of Chikombedzi.
“The Ministry of Mines will outline the next course of action after this discovery, but we are excited as a province because this will help grow our provincial Gross Domestic Product…,” he said.
A local firm, Aero Surv Zimbabwe, partnered a South African firm Xcalibur Airborne Geophysics, in the survey, which was launched by Harare last year.
Image credit: Xcalibur
The surveyed block for diamonds covered about 9000km stretching over Ngundu, Rutenga and other parts of Mwenezi.
This was not the first time an aero-magnetic survey had been conducted in the area.
Russia’s Alrosa, Ainjin of China, Murowa and the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) were currently involved in diamond exploration and mining in the country.
Diamonds are expected to add at least $1 billion to the $12 billion that Zimbabwe is expecting the mining industry to contribute to the country’s gross domestic product by 2023.
The country is planning to more than triple its diamond output to 11 million carats by 2023 from 3.2 million carats in 2018.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
