SHURUGWI – Midlands Miners for Economic Development (Miners4ED) chairman Cde Crispen Mahara has emerged as the unlikely engine driving a youth‑led gold surge across the province, directly empowering more than 1,200 young miners through formalisation, equipment loans, and apprenticeship programmes a template he says proves small‑scale mining is the fastest route to Zimbabwe’s US$12 billion mining economy by 2030.
Speaking after a handover of 68 compressors and milling units to youth syndicates in Shurugwi, Mahara – known as ‘Investor RekuSero’ – said the stability guaranteed by Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3) has unlocked bank financing and five‑year repayment plans for young miners, allowing them to move from panning to owning entire value chains.
“CAB3 is the switch that secures long‑term investment,” Mahara said. “No young miner will risk a loan if policies can vanish overnight.”
Under Mahara’s influence, 16 small‑scale mining companies have registered under the Companies Act in the Midlands this year alone, creating over 600 salaried jobs for youths as machine handlers, weighbridge operators, and security guards.
A “Gold for Skills” apprenticeship scheme, where experienced miners train two young recruits per registered claim, has produced 340 certified graduates in mercury‑free extraction and basic geology.
In Shurugwi’s Block 7 claims, youth‑led syndicates have raised weekly gold output from 0.5kg to 2.3kg per group after adopting modern milling techniques promoted by Miners4ED.
Beyond Mahara’s direct work, a US$300,000 community gold milling centre in Shurugwi reserves 40% of its capacity for youth‑only syndicates at a 30% discount, while Midlands State University’s School of Mines has graduated 120 young entrepreneurs from a free “Gold Entrepreneurship” certificate course.
A government equipment leasing scheme has added 22 compressors and 14 gold‑detecting scanners to youth groups, monitored by Miners4ED to ensure repayment.
With small‑scale miners now delivering nearly 75% of Zimbabwe’s gold – and a national target of 50 tonnes for 2026 Mahara said the Midlands is on track to supply a quarter of that output.
“When I say empowerment, I mean a young person owning the crusher, not just swinging a hammer,” he said.
“We are leaving no one behind. By 2030, we will have a generation of millionaire miners under 30.”