Dalny Mine, under Palatial Gold Investments Ltd, a subsidiary of multi-commodity miner RioZim, has transformed from care and maintenance into a thriving, community-driven operation through a large-scale tribute mining scheme, boosting the local economy and advancing the nation’s development goals.
The initiative, which comprises several active tributes has brought an end to a prolonged period of economic hardship for the Chakari community, in Mashonaland West, which had been left without livelihoods after the mine initially closed.
On average, each tribute employs approximately 60 small-scale miners drawn directly from the local community.
This collective effort has successfully accommodated thousands of workers who were previously unemployed, creating a sustainable “bottom-up” economic recovery.
Speaking during a site tour, Head of Operations, Nirav Kumbhar, said the company introduced the tribute scheme to benefit both the community and the firm, ensuring a sustainable source of income for local families.
“Initially, when the mine went under care and maintenance, the Chakari community went into darkness. There were no livelihood and no business flourishing,” Kumbhar said.
“We have given out tributes whereby people are allowed to do mining. The company provides them a plant to mill their ores and transport to carry their ores from the tributes to the mines free of cost.”
Mr Kumbhar emphasized that the modest benefits accrued by the company are reinvested into essential community infrastructure and for the upliftment of projects such as the clinic, maternity ward, and water distribution plant, which supplies the community.
The socio-economic impact of the scheme has also extended to the fight against substance abuse.
Dawn Mine General Manager, Mukudzei Nyevedzanai a beneficiary of the tribute system, noted that the programme has absorbed approximately 90 percent of the local unemployed workforce.
Nyevedzanai said the disciplined nature of the mining operations, coupled with strict testing for alcohol and drugs, has acted as a deterrent to the “drug menace” currently affecting many communities.
On the production front, operations are on an upward trajectory.
Nyevedzanai reported that production at his site has ramped up from 40 tonnes to 60 tonnes per shift, with a target of 78 tonnes in sight.
Despite the increase in output, management maintains a “safety-first” approach, utilizing advanced ventilation systems and strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“Our trust is to make sure the area is safe. We have standard operating procedures which are followed religiously. We don’t have many incidents; we are doing okay,” Nyevedzanai added.
As production continues to rise and livelihoods are restored, the Dalny Mine tribute model is increasingly emerging as a practical blueprint for community-driven mining, demonstrating how strategic partnerships between industry and local communities can deliver both economic sustainability and social stability.
