Henrietta Rushwaya is the current serving President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF). She assumed office in June 2021 after being resoundingly endorsed by all Provinces in an election she ran unopposed.

1. Henrietta Rushwaya
Henrietta Rushwaya is the current serving President of the Zimbabwe Miners
Federation (ZMF). She assumed office in June 2021 after being resoundingly endorsed
by all Provinces in an election she ran unopposed.
A miner in her own right, Henrietta Rushwaya is one of the only five female Presidents
to run the mining industry world over.
Her election into office has seen exponential women participation in the Zimbabwe
mining sector leading to the momentous rise of “women can do it” sentiment in the
Zimbabwe mining industry.
The rise of Rushwaya at ZMF has seen the ASM sector accounting for the largest
chunk of the country’s gold deliveries to Fidelity Printers and Refineries after overtaking
their counterparts in the primary production sector which is dominated by
Conglomerates.
In 2018 Henrietta Rushwaya won her first ZMF elections and the same year gold
deliveries to the country’s sole gold buyer and exporter Fidelity Printers and Refiners
(FPR) by small scale miners hit a record high of over 21 tonnes.
As the President of the ZMF Henrietta Rushwaya in 2019 amidst fuel and power
challenges in the country, she spearheaded a partnership with Glow Petroleum
ensuring that miners get cheaper and reliable fuel to improve operations viability leading
to over 17 tonnes of gold deliveries by small scale and artisanal miners.
During the last quarter of 2019 amidst poor forex retention policy Rushwaya’s led
executive partnered Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR) leading the initiative to
resoundingly lead small scale miners to improve deliveries from the comparable quarter
of 2018 by over 73 per cent.
ZMF is Zimbabwe’s largest mining body with over 1500000 members comprising of
artisanal and small-scale miners.
Rushwaya has also promoted the involvement of war vets, people with disabilities to
invest in the mining industry. She has donated essential equipment like compressors
and gold processing mills to war vets, women and the disabled in an endeavour to see
them taking centre stage in issues of national development.

2. In 2020 Rushwaya signed three strategic partnerships aimed at capacitating small scale
miners in their quest to ramp up production in line with the Government’s vision of
growing mining to a US$12 billion industry by 2023.
Rushwaya also made efforts to encourage miners to consider mining and processing of
minerals other than gold through spearheading the creation of chrome, gemstones,
prospectors national associations to promote the achievement of the US$12 Billion
mining industry by 2023.
Rushwaya has been working tirelessly to see rural district council levies for miners
reduced as miners are subjected to exorbitant fees out of reach of many.
Rushwaya engaged the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science
and Technology Development so that they could meet with local engineers and the
Minister of Mines and Mining Development to see an improvement in locally
manufactured mining equipment as most of the imported ones had a short life span.
Over 100 service providers in the mining sector have signed a strategic partnership with
the ZMF aimed at capacitating small scale and artisanal miners in their quest to improve
mining production in line with President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s vision of
growing the mining sector to a US$12 Billion industry by 2023.
Rushwaya and her ZMF executive have been continuously working hand in hand with
the government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to
develop a chrome policy, semi-precious and base mineral policy, mines and minerals
act, gold trade act, and Mines and Minerals amendment bill which will facilitate growth
and address small scale miner challenges recognising both local tributary and
independent miners.
Since ZMF seeks technological collaborations for the development and access of
market indicators for certain minerals and sales platforms, expert and technical advice
on geology, reliable supply of equipment and parts, Henrietta Rushwaya partnered with
the Zimbabwe India Trade Council (ZITC) to promote trade, investment and
beneficiation to strengthen artisanal and small scale mining growth and development.
ZITC has pledged to invite 100 ASMiners to India for exposure to that country’s mining
ways of operations.
Henrietta Rushwaya has been hailed by Mines and Mining Development Minister Hon
Winston Chitando for steering the ZMF towards a professional business approach as
the Federation had been operating informally. Prior to Rushwaya assuming office the
Federation had no fixed offices but now the organisation operates in Msasa employing
over ten people at its head office. In an endeavour to keep miners and investors

3. informed on the organizations’ business under the guidance of Rushwaya the ZMF
launched an interactive website www.zimminersfed.org. The website also has a live
WhatsApp chat option which has seen distressed miners getting quick assistance in
times of accidents or disputes.
Earlier in 2021 Rushwaya successfully negotiated a reduction of Mining fees which had
been increased by over 10 000% by the government.
In June this year, Ms Henrietta Rushwaya was re-elected as the Federation’s president
for the next five years, the Minister of Mines and Mining Deputy Hon Winston Chitando
together with his Deputy Hon Polite Kambamura endorsed the election. Rushwaya
pledged to rebuild the backbone of the nation and make sure that the ASM sector is
aligned in the mainstream economy.
Henrietta Rushwaya was named as one of the Women making huge strides in the
Zimbabwe mining industry by an internationally recognized leading local Mining
publication.
About Henrietta Rushwaya : https://zimminersfed.org/henrietta-rushwaya/