In simple English, eureka is a cry of joy or satisfaction when one makes an earth-shaking discovery. Families in Guruve District, Mashonaland Central, about 150km north-west of Harare, must be having one such eureka moment after Dallaglio Investments’ timely investment in the aptly named Eureka Mine.
Looking back, it’s hard to imagine that Guruve folk used the previously abandoned pits at Eureka Mine as hide-outs during the liberation struggle. The disused pits also served as watering holes for the thirst-ravaged villagers and their livestock when drought hit the area in 1982. As Munyaradzi Huni reports, it’s “eureka” at Eureka Mine.
At the height of the 1970s liberation struggle, Guruve folk sought refuge in abandoned mining pits at Eureka Mine whenever Ian Smith’s ruthless Rhodesian forces sought revenge in retaliation for losses suffered at the hands of freedom fighters. In times of drought, the pits were a God-sent as they became oases in the parched Guruve landscape. Ironically, Guruve folk often cursed Delta Gold Zimbabwe, the mine’s previous owners, for not filling up the pits which, they said, posed a grave danger to both people and their livestock.
The villagers had every reason to see the pits as a “curse” especially after several mining companies promised to resuscitate the mine but left in a huff after their explorations failed to yield the desired results.
With this in mind, some Guruve villagers were sceptical when President Mnangagwa officially commissioned Eureka Mine in 2018. They thought Dallaglio Investments was yet another fly-by-night company that would be here today and gone tomorrow. As it turned out, the opposite was the case. It’s now “eureka, eureka” in Guruve!
Those abandoned mining are now “spitting” over 100kg of gold per month – thanks to Dallaglio, which has pumped millions into Eureka Mine.
The mine’s general manager, Nelson Banda, says Eureka now boasts some of the most technologically advanced equipment in the country. The new plant, built at a cost of US$50 million, is capable of processing 100,000 tonnes of gold ore per month.
This is Eureka Mine’s remarkable resurrection story as told by Banda:
“In 2018, Dallaglio Investments (Pvt) Ltd acquired a 100% stake in Delta Gold Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd, which owned Eureka Gold Mine, from Mukau Mining and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDCSA). Dallaglio Investments immediately embarked on a site clean-up exercise, staff recruitment, renovations, infrastructure refurbishments and de-watering of the abandoned gold mine.
“Dallaglio Investments also obtained a Special Grant 6510 to consolidate its title. This was subsequently converted into 53 mining blocks and six registered sites. We then embarked on building the state-of-the-art plant at the Guruve site.
“Open-pit mining operations began in March 2021. In September 2021, Dallaglio Investments had its first Eureka Mine gold smelted right here. The plant and the open pit were officially commissioned by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe on 21 October 2021.”
Between June and November 2022, Eureka Mine produced over 700kg of gold. Output is set to top 1,453kg this year (2023).
Banda, pointed out, however, that power challenges were the proverbial elephant in the room. “Although Eureka has back-up generators, running them for a long time can be very costly,” he said as he proceeded to give an overview of Eureka’s robust corporate social responsibility programme.
“Eureka Gold Mine enjoys cordial relationships with its host communities. The mine has so far drilled and equipped five solar-powered boreholes at two schools and three villages at a total cost of US$40,000. We have also distributed textbooks to two secondary schools and three primary schools valued at US$30,000.
“In addition, we have drilled and equipped two solar-powered boreholes at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura at a cost of US$16,000 in preparation for the hosting of the 2023 Independence Celebrations.
“Altogether Eureka employs about 500 people directly and about 400 from its contracted companies. About 75% of the workforce is drawn from the surrounding communities.”
On hand to take the Brick by Brick magazine team on a tour of the new plant was the senior metallurgist, Talent Mafohla, who is currently Eureka Mine’s acting plant manager.
“For me, it’s a dream come true working at Eureka Mine. Here, you put into practice all the theory you studied at school. When I first came here, I found this gold processing plant to be quite intimidating. It’s one of the latest and most sophisticated plants in the world. So I had to learn quite a lot before I was in a position to operate it efficiently.
“However, now I know it like the back of my hand. And given its efficiency, I have no doubt that Eureka Mine will double its gold output this year,” said the youthful Mafohla.
During the tour, Mafohla introduced the Brick by Brick team to Rumbidzai Mazviyo, a carbon-in-leach operator, who is quite at home in a male-dominated world. “I studied metallurgy and mineral processing first at the Harare Polytechnic and subsequently at the Zimbabwe School of Mines. I don’t feel like I am a woman here. I am treated with the utmost respect and the working environment is excellent. I wish more and more women could join the mining sector. I can assure them that they will enjoy it,” she told us.
