Giant Mine to start operations by mid-2020 file pic

Heather Charema in Chegutu
Breckeridge Investments has started resuscitating and rehabilitating water and sewage infrastructure at their Giant Mine in Gadzema, 10 kilometres out of Chegutu, as they prepare to start exploration drilling on-site.

The mine was being exploited by Danangwe District Youth in Mining Cooperative (DDYMC) since 2012, producing 120kg of gold which they delivered to Fidelity Printers and Refiners.

The youth cooperative was evicted in April this year after the Supreme Court upheld a High Court decision ordering the artisanal miners to vacate the premises at the instigation of Breckeridge Investments which hold title deeds to the claims.

Breckridge Investments intends to start open cast mining at Giant Mine by next year.

In an interview on Tuesday, Pickstone Peerless Mine general manager Mr Japhet Makwasha said the company was expecting to start their operations in the second quarter of 2020.

“We have three projects currently running in Zimbabwe, we have Eureka Gold Mine in Guruve, Pickstone Peerless Mine here in Chegutu and Giant Mine in Gadzema, Chegutu,” he said.

“We managed to remove artisanal miners from our Giant Mine and we intend to do open cast mining there. We have already started building water infrastructure before operations begin.

“We expect to start our operations in the second half of 2020 because we are starting with exploration drilling and this may take up to six months and then we go to the analysis of the results. After all this we will be left with modelling and designing which we believe may take us to the second half of next year.”

Mr Makwasha said Breckeridge would employ local people from Chegutu and empower the youths in the area as well.

“The opening of Giant Mine brings forth employment creation and we expect to employ from the same Chegutu community,” he said.

“After the drilling and results analysis we will be in a position to tell what is left underground and the number of employees needed.”

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