The Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe Limited (MMCZ), says it is now educating small-scale miners about marketing their products. The announcement comes at a time when some minerals, especially gold, are allegedly being exporting illegally.

An MMCZ spokesperson said the association was organising workshops to deal with the issue of illegal gold panning and exports by educating the small-scale miners scattered throughout Zimbabwe. The workshops will be held in Harare, Bulawayo, Karoi, as well as other cities that have mushrooming and thriving "illegal mining teams". Mineral production for the period January to September, 2001, declined by 6,8 percent compared to the same period in 2000. Major declines were recorded in gold (13,7 percent), asbestos (18,5 percent), black granite (22,6 percent), and iron ore (23,2 percent).

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development blamed the decline on the scaling down of production, due to prohibitive costs, as well as problems at the Blast Furnace Number four at the cash-strapped Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Corporation, which reduced demand for iron ore. Illegal gold panning, especially by small-scale miners, has been the focus of much attention of late.

The government recently set aside millions of dollars for a special facility to assist the small-scale sector. The MMCZ spokesperson said: "We don't believe in arresting people.We want them to see value in their products. We want them to have access to foreign currency because the majority of blacks own neither the mines nor the gadgets which they use for mining."

President Mugabe has been very upbeat about supporting the country's mining sector, saying that it is not performing and should stand on its own feet. He said indigenous Zimbabweans should now strive to own mining concerns.