ZIMBABWE

Reconfiguration of the

ZIMBABWE
Reconfiguration of the

Geological Survey
Zimbabwe Geological Survey1
December 2016

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Research Team: Dr. Gibson Chigumira (Team Leader, Executive Director of ZEPARU); Dr. Antony Mamuse, (Executive
Dean, Faculty of Mining & Mineral Processing Engineering, Midlands State University); Mr. Cornelius Dube (ZEPARU

December 2016
Senior Research Fellow) and Mr. Wellington Matsika (ZEPARU Research Fellow).
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

Contents
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................... iv

FOREWORD..........................................................................................................................v

Executive Summary...................................................................................................... vii

1. Introduction..........................................................................................................1
1.1 Objectives of the Study..........................................................................................1
1.2 Outline of the Study...............................................................................................2

2. Methods of Research............................................................................................3

3. Legal status of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS).........................4

4. History of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey.............................................9

4.1 1910-1929..............................................................................................................9
4.2 1930-1949............................................................................................................11
4.3 1950-1960............................................................................................................13
4.4 1961-1969............................................................................................................13
4.5 1970-1979............................................................................................................14
4.6 1980-1989............................................................................................................15
4.7 1990-2016............................................................................................................16

5. Lessons from the history of the ZGS...........................................................19

6. Structure of the ZGS..........................................................................................22

7. The ZGS in the eyes of former and current employees.......................23

8. ZGS in the eyes of clients..................................................................................27

8.1 Members of the public and mineral prospectors..................................................27
8.2 Geological Society of Zimbabwe..........................................................................28

9. Geological Surveys worldwide.....................................................................31

10. Study tours............................................................................................................41

10.1 Study tour to the Council for Geoscience, South Africa......................................41
10.2 Study tour of the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN).......................................43
10.3 Summary of the CGS and GSN study tours.........................................................46
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 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
11. Proposed reconfiguration of the ZGS......................................................47
11.1 ZGS vision and strategy........................................................................................47
11.2 Legal status, mandate and powers.......................................................................47
11.3 Functions: expand or rebuild traditional functions?..............................................48
11.4 Funding model: what non-treasury supplementary sources could be explored?.49
11.5 Human and material resources............................................................................50

12. Recommendations................................................................................................51

References.......................................................................................................................54

List of Figures
Figure 1. National budget allocations to ZGS, 2009 to 2017..............................................18
Figure 2. Proposed new structure of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey.............................21
Figure 3. Organisational structure of the BGS....................................................................32
Figure 4. Funding and resourcing of the BGS for the 2014/ 2015 financial year..................33
Figure 5. Organisational structure of the Geological Survey of Tanzania............................34
Figure 6. Organisational structure of the Namibia Geological Survey................................35
Figure 7. Organisational structure of South Africa’s CGS...................................................42

List of Tables
Table 1. A comparison of legal status, management, and functions of the CGS
and ZGS ................................................................................................................5
Table 2. Views of former ZGS employees on the ZGS.....................................................23
Table 3. Views of current ZGS employees on the ZGS.....................................................25
Table 4. Suggestions from members of the public on reconfiguration of the ZGS............27
Table 5. Summary of information about other Geological Surveys...................................36
Table 6. Responses from key contact personnel from other Geological Surveys..............39

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Acknowledgements
This study was supported with funding from Governance and Institutional Support Project
(GISP) under African Development Bank (AfDB) Grant No. 5900155026366, and Project
ID No. P-ZW-KF0-005. The study team acknowledges the input and support provided by
diverse stakeholders in the minerals sector and who participated during inception workshop
and validation workshops; current employees and former employees of the Zimbabwe
Geological Survey (ZGS); members of the Geological Society of Zimbabwe, clients of ZGS
and personnel from selected Geological Surveys who responded to questionnaires and key
informant interviews. The support provided by the leadership of the Ministry of Mines and
Mining Development is greatly appreciated. In particular, special thanks go to Ministry of
Mines and Mining Development officials Mr. Mabasa Temba Hawadi, (Director of the ZGS)
and Mr. John Makandwa (Director of Mining Promotion& Development)for their input and
insights and for being part of the study tour of the Council for Geosciences (CGS) in South
Africa, and the inception and validation workshops. Profound appreciation goes to the
staff of the CGS South Africa and the staff of the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) for
facilitating study tours to their respective institutions and for sharing their knowledge and
insights during the study tours. Former ZGS chief field geologists Tim J. Broderick and Peter
Fey are thanked for their insightful reviews, suggestions and comments on a draft version of
this report.

While the study was done on behalf of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development with
funding from AfDB, the views expressed in this report do not necessary reflect the views
of the Ministry or AfDB. The authors bear full responsibility of all the errors and omissions.

ISBN: 978-0-7974-7136-8

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 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

FOREWORD
The role of geological surveys in the socio-economic development
of any country can never be overemphasized. Geological surveys
collect, monitor, update, archive, process and provide national
geo-scientific information which is fundamental for the economic,
social, and environmental development of a country. For instance,
they provide information which is necessary for the exploration,
development and exploitation of mineral wealth; the development
of infrastructure such as railroads, dams and cities; the understanding and prevention of
geo-hazards such as earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes. Geoscientific information is also
required for land use and land use planning.

A well-developed and equipped Geological Survey is required for the generation of

geoscientific information and knowledge that will inform policies that foster development
of the minerals sector and influence investment decisions in the sector. The Zimbabwe
Geology Survey (ZGS) is one of the oldest scientific institutions in the country established
in 1910. Its good performance in the past stimulated mineral exploration interest in the
country leading to discoveries of some of the world-class mineral deposits. However, the
current state of ZGS is in stark contrast with past performance when it was well resourced,
and is not consistent with the ZGS vision of becoming a world class geological survey. Among
other challenges that the ZGS face include lack of a statute that establishes and clearly
defines its mandate, difficulties in retaining qualified and experienced geoscientists, inability
to efficiently service, maintain and replace aging equipment, and a huge backlog of published
research, including research conducted decades ago.

Inadequate human, material and economic resources have handicapped the ZGS to fully
discharge its mandate especially field mapping. It is in this regard that my Ministry with financial
support from African development Bank partnered ZEPARU to undertake a study on the
Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey. The findings and recommendations of
this study will inform the processes that are underway to review the Mines and Minerals Act
and development of a new Mining sector policy. We will look at the study’s recommendations
and other country experiences with keen interest to glean insight on how to reconfigure the
ZGS and set it on a higher development trajectory which will enable it to achieve its vision
of becoming a world class geological survey.

I would like to appreciate the financial and material support that the African Development
Bank is giving to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the ZGS under the
Governance and Institutional Support Project, which has enabled the ZGS to acquire
equipment and also made this study possible. My gratitude also goes to the ZEPARU research v
team that undertook this study and the stakeholders who participated through providing
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

valuable information during the course of the study. As we implement the recommendations
of this study we count on the support of diverse stakeholders within government, private
sector and development community to reconfigure the ZGS into a vibrant and well resourced
institution.

Thank you and God bless you.

Hon. W. Chidakwa
Minister of Mines and Mining Development

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 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

Executive Summary
The original purpose of Geological Survey Organisations (Geological Surveys), namely
to map the geology and mineral resources of nations, remains the primary role of most
Geological Surveys today. Two of the oldest Geological Surveys in the world are the British
Geological Survey which started off in 1835 as the Ordinance Geological Survey, and the
Geological Survey of India which was established in 1851 on foundations laid down in
1836. The essentiality of mineral resources to humanity is the very reason why virtually all
countries have or have had Geological Surveys or other entities that perform Geological
Survey functions. As Geological Surveys are clearly strategic institutions, they are generally
government departments, state agencies or state controlled companies. In Zimbabwe, the
Geological Survey was established by the colonial administration in 1910, but agitation for its
establishment had begun not long after the colonisation of the country in 1890.

The Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS) and its legal predecessors earned a good reputation
in mapping the country’s geology and mineral resources. The ZGS produced excellent maps
and reports documenting and interpreting the country’s geology and mineral resources
thereby stimulating mineral exploration interest in the country leading to discoveries of
world-class mineral deposits. Early discoveries include Hwange Coal Fields, Cam and Motor
Gold Mine, Globe & Phoenix Gold Mine, Sandawana Emerald Mine, Shabanie and Mashawa
asbestos mines,Shurugwi Chromite mines and many others. When Zimbabwe attained
independence from Britain in 1980, the new government considered mining development
among priority economic drivers and ensured that the ZGS remained intact, churning
out geoscientific information which attracted mining and mineral exploration investment
inflows. Foreign governments jubilantly offered technical cooperation partnerships in the
mining sector and significant technical cooperation agreements were signed with the British,
German, Canadian, Japanese, French and North Korean governments or their agencies.

In the early 1990s when the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme was being
implemented in Zimbabwe, the economy was adversely affected, so were many state
institutions such as the ZGS. Equipment and infrastructure maintenance became more and
more difficult and ultimately became neglected. Experienced geoscientists left the ZGS in
droves to join the better-paying private sector and geological mapping had come to a halt by
1991. Geological mapping, the primary purpose of geological surveys, is the driver of many
other activities such as geochemical analyses, cartography, editing & publishing, and rock
cutting & polishing. By 1997, all technical cooperation projects had wound down and the
ZGS was on its knees, barely surviving. Meanwhile dereliction of equipment due to aging and
lack of maintenance accelerated.

The economy of Zimbabwe further declined by an estimated annual rate of 6.4% over the vii
period 2000 to 2008 owing to a number of factors including hyperinflation, financial sector
instability, declining industrial capacity utilisation, among others. This adversely affected
budgetary allocations to the Zimbabwe Geological Survey which declined from 0.03% of the
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

total national budget in 2009 to largely 0.01% since 2012. However, in 2003 the government
embarked on the ‘Look East Policy’. This policy drew some new technical cooperation
initiatives and minimal mining and mineral exploration investment from countries like China
and Russia. Thus, the ZGS remained in a dire situation and in 2013, the Ministry of Mines
and Mining Development and the ZGS secured funding from the African Development
Bank under a specified grant to: (i) provide geological equipment; (ii) provide cartography
equipment; (iii) provide training for ZGS personnel; (iv) fund the editing and printing of
bulletins and maps; (v) support to the Mines and Minerals Act review process; and (vi)
support the Zimbabwe Economic and Policy Analysis Research Unit (ZEPARU) to undertake
mining sector analytical and advisory activities to strengthening mining sector policies and
governance arrangements.

This study, ‘Reconfiguration of the Geological Survey’, which falls under item (vi) above,
focuses on the ZGS which is currently not in its best shape or form and which may need
some redirection, transformation or reconfiguration. The report draws from literature
research, interviews, questionnaires and study tours. Inadequate funding of Geological
Surveys is not unique to Zimbabwe; many wholly-government funded Geological Surveys
the world over consider themselves to be under-funded. This has raised three interrelated
questions over the years. First, should a nation’s Geological Survey solely rely on government
funding? Second, should the Geological Survey ideally be a government department or a
semi-autonomous state agency? Third, what other roles apart from traditional mapping of
geology and mineral resources can Geological Surveys perform?

The above questions reflect the underlying desire for reconfiguration within Geological
Surveys. The Algerian Geological Survey Agency and the Geological Survey of Tanzania
have transformed into semi-autonomous state agencies. Some more established Geological
Surveys such as the British Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of Finland the Geological
Survey of the Netherlands and South Africa’s Council for Geoscience supplement government
funding by as much as 30% earned from consultancies and commissioned research. The
semi-autonomous status reduces bureaucratic layers, permits creation of innovative revenue
streams, such as through international partnership projects and contracts, and permits
expansion of functions. Given the unenviable situation that the ZGS currently finds itself
in, the most immediate concern for stake holders interviewed in this study was not about
what sort of entity the ZGS should be, but getting the ZGS working again. However, in the
long run, it is pertinent to consider whether the ZGS can work more effectively as a state
agency rather than as a government department. Although the post-independence technical
cooperation projects represented a major accelerator of geological work at the ZGS, this
kind of funding proved to be unsustainable and there is need to create sustainable revenue
streams.
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Apart from basic traditional Geological Survey functions, many transformed Geological
Surveys undertake work and consultancies in engineering geology, hydrogeology,
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
environmental management, geo-hazards mapping, climate change and many other areas.
Although respondents in this study generally supported the expansion of functions at the ZGS,
they emphasized that the ZGS must re-establish the primary services and functions before
any expansion or reconfiguration can be meaningfully instituted. Most geologists currently at
the ZGS have no geological mapping experience and establishment of a ‘Field School’ such
as that offered by South Africa’s CGS to equip early career geologists with geological skills,
mainly field mapping skills, will help resuscitate geological mapping at the ZGS. In interviews,
several experienced former field mapping geologists in Zimbabwe expressed readiness to
assist the ZGS with field mapping training. Incidentally, at least two former ZGS geologists
are involved in the running of the CGS Field School in South Africa.

Another in-built crippling limitation to the growth and success of the ZGS is the poor
definition of its legal status and mandate. Although legally recognized under Section 387 of
Zimbabwe’s Mines and Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05) of 1996, the Act does not spell out
fully the functions or mandate of the ZGS. This is in sharp contrast to South Africa’s CGS
which was established under the Geoscience Act (Act No. 100 of 1993) which states in detail
functions of the CGS, composition of the CGS management Board, CGS powers, and CGS
funding sources and defines the CGS as a ‘juristic person’ at law.

The recent decentralisation of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development which took
away Mining/ Regional geologists from the ZGS to the provinces, stripping the ZGS of its
most experienced geologists, posed an internal threat to the existence of the ZGS. The ZGS
responded by creating the Applied Geology Section, charged with collation of provincial data,
coordination of provincial activities, and looking into the establishment of non-traditional
Geological Survey roles such as geo-hazard mapping, environmental geology, engineering
geology at the ZGS. This initiative can strengthen the ZGS and must be supported and if
necessary, revised and revamped.

In conclusion, the ZGS vision of becoming a world geoscience research and information
centre in the near future can be realized. This requires some reconfiguration, which entails
several elements: (i) the legal status and mandate of the ZGS must be clearly re-defined,
(ii) the ZGS must re-establish its primary geological mapping function and, at a later time,
expand its functions guided by its redefined mandate, and (iii) the ZGS should revise its
funding model; there is flexibility if the ZGS becomes a state agency rather than a government
department.

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1. Introduction
Most countries have Geological Surveys originally established to map the geological and
mineral resources in those countries. Today the geological map and the mineral resources
map are major mining investment decision making tools and must therefore be kept up to
date. Being such an important institution, questions have been asked if a nation’s Geological
Survey can solely rely on government funding, and whether the Geological Survey should be
a government department or transform into a semi-autonomous State Agency. Some more
established Geological Surveys such as the British Geological Survey, the Geological Survey
of Finland and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands supplement government funding
by as much as 30% earned from consultancies and commissioned research. In attempts to
become more effective and to reduce decision-making bureaucratic layers, some Geological
Surveys, such as the Algerian Geological Survey Agency and the Geological Survey of Tanzania
have transformed into semi-autonomous State Agencies.

Whatever entity a Geological Survey is, its existence must be underpinned by a clear statute
defining its legal status, mandate and functions. Every Geological Survey should have the
capacity to at least carry out the basic traditional functions. This study, ‘Reconfiguration
of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey’, focuses on the Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS)
which has historically earned a reputation for geological mapping, but due to lack of adequate
human and financial resources over the years, is currently not in its best shape or form and
may need some redirection. The study was funded by the African Development Fund as a
subcomponent of a grant extended to the Republic of Zimbabwe under the Governance
and Institutional Support Project (GISP). The study has been implemented by Zimbabwe
Economic Policy Analysis and Research Unit (ZEPARU) in conjunction with the Ministry
of Mines and Mining Development. The numerous challenges that have compromised
the institutional capacity of the ZGS include difficulties in recruiting suitably qualified
and experienced geoscientists, inability to efficiently service, maintain and replace aging
equipment, and a huge research publishing backlog, including research conducted decades
ago. In an effort to re-tool the ZGS, a component of GISP has recently assisted the ZGS to
procure equipment for cartography, geophysics and rock cutting/ thin section preparation.
Lack of a clear legal status of the ZGS is an overarching limitation to the ZGS’s functioning,
growth and innovativeness. Thus, the proposed amendments to Zimbabwe’s Mines and
Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05) of 1996 should include sections which clearly spell out the legal
status, functions, mandate and powers of the ZGS.

1.1 Objectives of the Study

The overall objective of this study was to identify institutional gaps and capacity
challenges that undermine the fulfilment of ZGS’s mandate and to explore the
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possibility of enhancing that mandate to propel the ZGS to become an effective
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

and efficient world class organisation. The specific objectives of the study include
the following:
• To understand the current mandate, legal status, functions and powers of the ZGS.
• To identify historical and current capacity challenges that the ZGS faces or has faced in
executing its mandate.
• To identify key tenets (human resources, funding model, legal status, mandate, functions,
etc.) that permit reconfiguration of the ZGS into a world-class Geological Survey.
• To explore ways in which the ZGS can contribute to increasing the country’s
competitiveness as a destination for mining capital.

1.2 Outline of the Study

Section 2 summarises research methods which included the review of relevant literature
from which the legal status of the ZGS, historical development of ZGS and its rich key
lessons, spelt out in sections 3 to 5, are drawn. Section 6 presents the current structure of
ZGS and sections 7 to 10 discuss the findings from qualitative analysis of the questionnaires
administered to current employees of the ZGS; former employees of the ZGS; members
of the public and members of the Geological Society of Zimbabwe. Section 10 additionally
discusses the findings from the study tour to the Council for Geoscience of South Africa.
Section 11 concludes the paper by discussing the proposals for the reconfiguration of the
ZGS.

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2. Methods of Research
Before the onset of data collection, a stakeholder inception workshop was held to inform
stakeholders of the commencement of the study and solicit information and insights that
would help shape the research by taking into account their different views and perspectives.
Participants were drawn from former and current employees of the ZGS, the Chamber
of Mines, the Geological Society of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Mines and Mining
Development. Their contributions helped in identifying Geological Surveys to study and visit,
and key informants to target in questionnaire surveys and interviews.

For data collection, this study relied on literature research, questionnaires, interviews and
study tours to selected Geological Surveys. Most of the literature was accessed through
websites of the studied Geological Surveys. This information would be of a general nature
and to glean specific internal details, questionnaires were designed and sent to key personnel
in selected Geological Surveys. The next level was to actually visit selected Geological
Surveys to interact with personnel and to tour their facilities. For this purpose, the research
team visited the Council of Geoscience (South Africa) and the Geological Survey of Namibia.
Views of current employees of the ZGS, former employees of the ZGS, members of
the public and members of the Geological Society of Zimbabwe were collected through
questionnaires. Except for members of the public who completed and returned hardcopy
questionnaires, the rest of the questionnaires were distributed, completed and received
electronically.

Views of former employees of the ZGS were sought in order to capture their perspectives
on how, why and when the ZGS has historically scored successes, and how and when the
ZGS dealt with any significant challenges. Similarly, current employees add to the story the
immediate past, current and projected future successes and challenges at the ZGS. Public
clients of the ZGS, mainly small-scale miners and prospectors, are an important group as
they provide a view of the ZGS from an interested outsider’s perspective. The Geological
Society of Zimbabwe is mainly made up of geoscience professionals who interface with the
ZGS and many are themselves practicing geoscientists, permitting them to contribute from
an informed professional point of view that would, in some cases, be influenced by their
experiences in other organisations or jurisdictions.

Interviews with officials of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, including the ZGS
helped gain some insight into their perspectives on the future of the ZGS and the parent
ministry.

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 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

3. Legal status of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

The Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS) was founded in 1910 as the Rhodesia Geological
Survey. Presently, the ZGS is legally recognized under Section 387 of Zimbabwe’s Mines and
Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05) of 1996. However, the Act does not spell out fully the functions
or mandate of the Geological Survey, except to confer upon the ZGS staff authority to enter
upon any land for the purposes of exploration, sampling or inspection without hindrance.
From this perspective, it seems that the Zimbabwe Geological Survey’s legally recognized
mandate is very limited and poorly defined. This is in sharp contrast to the legal basis of the
Council for Geoscience (CGS), the legal successor of the Geological Survey of South Africa.
The CGS was established by the Republic of South Africa under the Geoscience Act, Act No.
100 of 1993 which, among other aspects, states in detail functions of the CGS, composition
of the CGS management Board, CGS powers, and CGS funding sources. The CGS is clearly
defined at law as a ‘juristic person’. Table 1 compares and contrasts the definitions of legal
status, management and functions of the CGS and ZGS as respectively conferred upon these
institutions by the Geoscience Act, Act No. 100 of 1993 and the Mines and Minerals Act
(Chapter 21:05) of 1996.

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Table 1 A comparison of legal status, management, and functions of the CGS and ZGS as spelt out in the respective Acts

Council for Geoscience Zimbabwe Geological Survey

(Geoscience Act (No. 100 0f 1993) (Mines & Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05 of 1996)
Legal status ‘There is hereby established a juristic person to be known as the Council for Geoscience’ For purposes of this Act, there shall be –…(d)
Director of Geological Survey…’
Management (1) With a view to the achievement of the objects of the Council its affairs shall be managed by a (1) The Secretary shall be and is hereby vested with
Management Board, which shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, determine the policy and goals of authority generally to supervise and regulate the
the Council and exercise control over the performance of the functions of the Council. proper and effectual carrying out of this Act by
(2) The Management Board shall consist of- mining commissioners or other officers of the
(a) the chairman, who shall be appointed by the Minister; Public Service duly appointed thereto, and to
(b) at least eight but not more than ten other members appointed by the Minister, after consultation give all such orders, directions or instructions as
with the chairman and the executive officer, of whom- may be necessary.
(i) one shall be an official of the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs nominated by the Director- (2) The Secretary may at his discretion assume all
General: Mineral and Energy Affairs; or any of the powers, duties and functions by
(ii) one shall be an official of the Department of Environment Affairs nominated by the Director- this Act vested in any mining commissioner, and
General: Environment Affairs; may lawfully perform all such acts and do all such
(iii) one shall be an official of the Department of Regional and Land Affairs nominated by the Director- things as a mining commissioner may perform or
General: Regional and Land Affairs; do, and is further empowered in his discretion
(iv) one shall be an official of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry nominated by the Director- to authorize the correction of any error in the
General: Water Affairs and Forestry; administration or in the carrying out of the
(v) one shall be a person who is involved in the mining industry and was nominated by the Chamber of provisions of this Act, or to perform any other
Mines; lawful act which may be necessary to give due
(vi) one shall be a person who is involved in geoscientific education or training and was nominated by effect to its provisions.
the Geological Society of South Africa; (3) The Secretary may exercise such of the powers
(vii) one shall be a person who is involved in commerce; and by this Act vested in the Minister as may be
(viii) one shall be a person with knowledge or experience of mineral activities who is involved in delegated to him by the Minister.
industrial development and was nominated by the Industrial Development Corporation; and
(c) The executive officer, who shall serve ex officio as a member of the Management Board.
(3) After the expiry of the term of office of the first chairman the Minister shall appoint the chairman after
consultation with the other members of the Management Board.
(4) The Minister may, whenever he deems it necessary or expedient, subject to the provisions of subsection
(1), appoint an alternate member for any member of the Management Board.
(5) The members or alternate members of the Management Board shall be persons who-
(a) have special knowledge of or experience in any aspect of the Council’s functions; or
(b) By virtue of the offices occupied by them are able to make a contribution to the achievement of the
objects of the Council.
Functions (1) For the purpose of achieving its objects, the Council may perform the following functions: The Director of Geological Survey and any person
(a) Undertake geoscientific research; duly authorized in writing by him may for the purpose
(b) compile and develop a comprehensive and integrated collection of knowledge of geology, of carrying out any prospecting or exploration work
geochemistry, geophysics, engineering geology, economic geology, geochronology, marine geology and on
geomagnetism; behalf of the State or a geological survey of Zimbabwe
(c) serve as the national custodian of all geoscientific information relating to the earth, the marine or any part thereof—
environment and geomagnetic space; (a) enter at all reasonable hours upon any land
(d) study mineral resources; with such persons, animals, vehicles, appliances,
(e) study the use of the surface of land, and from a geoscientific viewpoint advise government institutions instruments and materials as are necessary for
and the general public on the judicious and safe use thereof; such survey;
(f) develop and maintain the National Geoscientific Library, the National Borehole Core Depository, the (b) break up the surface of any part of such land for
National Geophysical and Geochemical Test Sites, and the Geological Museum as part of the Transvaal the purpose of ascertaining the rocks, strata or
Museum; minerals within or under the same;
(g) conduct investigations and render specialized services to public and private institutions; (c) take and carry away samples and specimens of
(h) (i) undertake research of its own accord; or the rocks, strata or minerals found therein;
(ii) undertake research on behalf of the State or any other government institution, or on behalf of any (d) fix any post, stone, mark or object to be used in
person or institution, or support such research financially; and the survey in any such land;
(iii) do anything that is necessary for or conducive to the achievement of the said objects. (e) dig up any ground for the purposes of fixing
(2) In order to promote relevant research and to support its objects the Council may- any such post, stone, mark or object;
(a) make grants to universities, technikons, colleges and other educational and scientific institutions in (f) enter into or upon any land on which it is
aid of research by their staff or for the establishment of facilities for such research; proposed to carry out such prospecting or
(b) undertake joint research projects with departments of State, universities, technikons, colleges, exploration work, or through which it may be
other educational and scientific institutions and other persons; necessary to pass for the purposes of such survey
(c) co-operate with educational authorities and scientific or technical societies for the promotion of or such work:
the education and training of researchers, technical experts and other supporting personnel in schools, Provided that—
technikons, colleges and universities; (i) it shall not be lawful to fix any object, post, stone
(d) grant study bursaries and loans to researchers, and make monetary contributions for research or mark within any walled garden, orchard or
programmes in support of its own manpower requirements; and pleasure ground without the consent of the
(e) co-operate with persons and institutions undertaking research in other countries by the exchange owner or the occupier thereof;
of geoscientific knowledge by means of international meetings and research projects. (ii) reasonable notice of the intention to exercise any
(3) In order to perform the functions and to achieve the objects of the Council, the executive officer may- of the powers conferred by this subsection shall
(a) on behalf of the Council conclude agreements with any person or institution or, subject to the be given to the owner or the occupier of such
provisions of section 8, with any government or administration, on the conditions upon which the land unless such land is unoccupied State land;
Management Board and that person, institution, government or administration may agree; (b) act as the (iii) as little damage and inconvenience as possible
official representative of the Council at all national and international organizations and meetings; shall be caused by the exercise of any of the
(c) defend legal proceedings instituted against the Council and institute legal proceedings connected powers conferred by this section and such owner
with its functions; or occupier shall be entitled to compensation for
(d) with the approval of the Minister, granted with the concurrence of the Minister of State Expenditure, any damage sustained in the execution of the
for or on behalf of the Council purchase or otherwise acquire or possess or hire immovable property, powers conferred by this subsection.
and alienate, let, pledge or otherwise encumber such property; (2) Any prospecting or exploration work carried out
(e) with the approval of the Minister, granted with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, raise in terms of subsection (1) shall be subject to the
money by way of loans on such terms and conditions and against such security as the Management provisions of sections thirty-one and thirty-four,
Board may deem expedient; save those of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of
section thirty-one.

6
 7

Functions (f) hire or let services against payment; (3) No prospecting or exploration work shall be carried
(g) produce and sell reports, maps, computer programs and other intellectual property which the Council out on a mining location pursuant to the powers
generates in the course of its research; conferred by subsection (1) without prior consultation
(h) do everything that is conducive to the performance of the functions or the achievement of the objects of with the holder of such location.
the Council or is calculated, directly or indirectly, to enhance the value of or render profitable the property (4) Any person who in any way whatsoever prevents,
or rights of the Council. obstructs or impedes the
(4) The Council shall, in addition to its other functions in terms of this Act or any other law- exercise of any of the powers conferred by subsection
(a) perform such functions and undertake such investigations or research as the Minister may assign to it; (1) or who displaces, defaces or destroys any stone,
and post, mark or object set up and placed for the purposes
(b) advise the Minister on research in the field of geoscience. of any
(5) The functions of the Council mentioned in this section shall be performed by the executive officer, geological survey shall be guilty of an offence and liable
except in so far as they have been assigned by this Act or by the Minister to any other person. to a fine not exceeding level three.
[amended by Act 22 of 2001, with effect from the 10th
Exercise of powers of Council outside Republic of South Africa September, 2002.]
(5) If any dispute arises as to the amount of compensation
(1) The Council may at the request of or with the prior approval of the Minister undertake geoscientific payable under this section, the matter shall be referred
research and perform generic geological functions in any country or territory outside the Republic on to the Administrative Court for determination.
behalf of any person, institution, government or administration.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3), the provisions of this Act shall, in so far as they can be applied,
apply mutatis mutandis to the exercising by the Council of its powers in terms of this section as if the country
or territory in which it so exercises its powers were within the Republic.
(3) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Act, geoscientific research and the
performance of generic geological functions under subsection (1) shall be undertaken on such terms and
conditions as may be agreed upon between the Management Board and the person,
institution, government or administration on whose behalf the research and the performance of functions
are to be undertaken, and as approved by the
Minister.
(4) The Minister may, with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, indemnify the Council against any
losses which it may incur in consequence of any act or omission of a person, institution, government or
administration contemplated in subsection (1).
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the Council shall have the right to inspect any (1) The miner of a registered mining location shall
information of the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs which the Minister, or an officer of the said submit annually to the Director of Geological Survey
Department designated by the Minister, may approve on such conditions as the Minister or the said officer any information of a geological nature, including logs
may determine. and assay results of drill cores from surface diamond
(2) The Council may take into its custody and use information contemplated in subsection (1) or a copy drill holes, and reports on any geological,
thereof, but any provision of any law whereby any restriction is imposed on the publication or display of Geo-chemical and geophysical work, obtained by
such information, shall mutatis mutandis apply to any information or copy thereof which is in the custody of him during the course of his prospecting or mining
the Council in terms of this section. operations.
(1a) Any person who contravenes subsection (1)
shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not
exceeding level four or to imprisonment for a period
not exceeding three months or to both such fine and
such imprisonment
[inserted by Act 22 of 2001, with effect from the 10th
September, 2002.]
(2) The Director of Geological Survey shall not, without
the consent of the holder, disclose any information
submitted in terms of subsection (1) to any person, or
allow any person to inspect it unless the mining location
to which it relates is forfeited,
abandoned, or has been cancelled:
Provided that the Minister may, after consultation with
the miner, disclose such information if he considers it
necessary in the public interest to do so.
(3) In addition to the information specified in subsection
(1), the miner of a registered mining location shall
submit to the Director of Geological Survey, if called
for, any representative rock samples obtained by him
in the course of his prospecting and mining operations.

8
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

4. History of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

In keeping with the country’s changing name due to historical circumstances, the entity
currently known as the Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS) has variously been known
by different names reflecting the changes to the country’s name. Between 1910 and
1964, the ZGS was known as the Southern Rhodesia Geological Survey and the Rhodesia
Geological Survey between 1964 and 1979. In the brief transitional 1979-1980 period, the
ZGS was known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Geological Survey, after which it became the ZGS
when the country officially changed its name to Zimbabwe at independence in 1980. This
section summarises the progress, challenges, opportunities and successes witnessed by the
Geological Survey over more than a century of its existence since 1910.

Subsections 4.1 – 4.3 which cover the first fifty years of the existence of the Geological
Survey are based on Tyndale-Biscoe (1972). Tyndale-Biscoe worked for the Geological Survey
as mineralogist (1924-1926) and geologist (1926-1959) his is an insider’s account. For the
Survey’s history beyond 1960, this compilation relied heavily on Fey (1997) supplemented
by Broderick (2010). Peter Fey worked for the Survey as geologist (1971-1976), Regional
Geologist (1976-1980) and Chief Field Geologist (1992-1995). Tim Broderick was geologist
at the Survey from 1972 to 1980, becoming Chief Field Geologist between 1980 and 1988.

4.1 1910-1929
Within the first decade (1890-1900) of colonial occupation of Zimbabwe, gold prospecting
and mining activities by the settlers had gathered such momentum that the need for a
Geological Survey became apparent. From around 1900 the mining community, the press
and mining professionals increasingly agitated for establishment of a Geological Survey. An
early proposal was for the Rhodesia Chamber of Mines to lead the process with mining
companies subscribing on a pro rata basis and the British South Africa Company (BSAC)
paying pound-for-pound. The final resolution was that government, not the Chamber of
Mines, should establish the Geological Survey. In the end a budgetary allocation of £4,000,
one fifth from the BSAC’s commercial branch and four fifths from the Legislative Council,
was provided for the setting up of the Rhodesia Geological Survey in 1910. The then
leading mining journal, the Rhodesia Mining Review dismissed the allocation as woefully
inadequate and implored the need for close cooperation of, and pooling of resources by the
Geological Survey, Resident Mining Engineer and the Rhodesia Museum to enhance chances
of any viability of the new venture. Herbert Brantwood Maufe a geologist with the Scottish
Geological Survey, who had also worked in Kenya, was appointed the inaugural director and
resumed work in September 1910. The first offices of the Rhodesia Geological Survey were
in Bulawayo to foster ties with the Rhodesia Museum and Resident Mining Engineer’s offices
which were both in Bulawayo.
9
By November 1910, Maufe had initiated geological mapping of the Harare arm (Enterprise
belt) of what is now known as the Harare-Bindura-Shamva Greenstone Belt. In May 1911
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
two new geologists, Arthur Edward Victor Zeally and Ben Lightfoot joined the Geological
Survey and in the same year the three geologists embarked on geological mapping of the
Shurugwi (formerly Selukwe) Greenstone Belt where there was booming mining activity.
Using donkey waggons as their transport, they completed their mapping in 1912. By 1914,
the team had collectively covered mapping of Shurugwi, Harare (Enterprise), Effel Flats
(Kadoma), Golden Valley (Chegutu), Wankie (Hwange) Coalfield and had embarked on
mapping the Karoo north of Bulawayo diamond deposits, north of Mbembesi (kimberlites)
and the Somabula deposits (gravels).

To about 1924, the number of geologists at the Survey ranged from two to four. The number
increased to four by July 1914, following recruitment of Alexander Miers Macgregor, but
onset of the First World War took its toll. Lightfoot resigned in 1914 to take up a scholarship
but was immediately conscripted into the army, and Macgregor resigning in 1916 to join the
army. Field mapping was suspended in 1916-1917 so that the only two remaining geologists,
Maufe and Zealley, could concentrate on appraisals of strategic and base mineral prospects
as well as determinations of these minerals for prospectors following a spike in demand
from war industries. The task of mineral determinations was eventually given to the Resident
Mining Engineer. Minerals discovered during this period include microlite in Mutare, widely
distributed tungsten ores, asbestos deposits at Shabanie Mine, Barytes in Gweru, and
graphite and fluorite in Hwange. Fieldwork resumed following the appointment of geologist
Arthur John Charles Molyneux in April 1918 but the team was cut back to two when Zealley
succumbed to influenza in October 1918.

From the second half of 1918, the Secretary for Mines and Roads began to express
dissatisfaction with Maufe over slow progress in mapping and publishing. He recommended
to the Administrator that the Geological Survey’s offices be moved to Salisbury (Harare)
and be placed as a department under Secretary for Mines and Roads as hitherto Maufe had
been ‘a power unto himself’ reporting directly to the Administrator. In response Maufe
explained that the Survey was under-resourced and recommended the appointment of two
typographers, a draughtsman, a petrologist, chemist and laboratory assistant. The Geological
Survey was moved to Salisbury at the end of May 1918.

Macgregor returned to the Survey in 1919 and Lightfoot in 1921. Maufe and Macgregor
undertook a quick reconnaissance of the country to compile the first edition of the 1: 1
million geological map of Southern Rhodesia which was published in 1922. A mineral map of
the same scale was published in 1924. Between 1924 and 1926, several new appointments
were made: two mining geologists, one mineralogist, one assistant draughtsman, two
topographers, and one chemist. The post of mineralogist changed hands three times during
this period. Mineralogist John Reekie who had been appointed in 1921 resigned in 1924 and
was replaced by geologist Ronald McIver Tyndale-Biscoe who moved to the field mapping 10
section in 1926 when Dr. James Watson Lunn took over as mineralogist.
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

The year 1925 marked the first use of motorised transport during Lightfoot’s excursion to
the Great Dyke to investigate the presence of platinum ore reminiscent of a then recent
discovery on the Bushveld Complex of South Africa. Lightfoot’s was a one tonne Ford motor
waggon; a fleet of six Chevrolet half-tonne vans procured for the 1926 field season marked
the permanent replacement of mule/ donkey waggons with motorised transport.

In 1929, Maufe, Lightfoot, Macgregor and Dr. Francis Eric Keep (mining geologist appointed
on a three year contract in 1926) successfully led Rhodesian excursions of the International
Geological Congress held in Pretoria. This congress resolved to create a Commission of
African geological Surveys to exchange notes on activities and share results. In this period,
Lightfoot was the main representative of the Geological Survey at international conferences
and he was President of the Geological Society of South Africa for several years until 1940.
Thus, the major highlights of the 1910-1929 periods were the initiation of mapping of
greenstone belts and sedimentary basins, publication of the first 1: 1 million geological and
mineral maps, the introduction of motorised fieldwork transport in 1925, the discovery
of new strategic minerals spurred by the war effort, and the successful hosting of the
International Geological Congress field excursions in Southern Rhodesia. Another important
milestone was the domestication of thin section preparation by mineralogist John Reekie
thereby dispensing with the need to send specimens to England or Germany. By the end of
1929, there were four geologists at the Survey: Maufe, Lightfoot, Macgregor and Tyndale-
Biscoe.

4.2 1930-1949
In 1930 two new geologists joined the Southern Rhodesia Geological Survey, and another
two joined in 1933, bringing the number to eight. In 1934, Maufe retired from the Geological
Survey and was replaced as director by Lightfoot. Another new geologist joined the Survey
in 1936 bringing the number of geologists back to eight, but a death in 1937 brought the
number down to seven. Lightfoot agitated for the allocation of new office space which was
granted in 1937. The Geological Survey moved to its present offices at the corner of Simon
Muzenda Street and Selous Avenue in October 1940. The purpose-built Geological Survey
headquarters, named Maufe Building in recognition of the founding director, is still in use
today. Due to overwhelming demand for geological services by small scale miners during
this period, Lightfoot suggested the introduction of a cost recovery charge for the service,
which was not implemented.

Before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the mapping team had accomplished
or was accomplishing mapping of gold belts in Filabusi, Antelope, Bulawayo, Mazowe Valley,
and Umfuli (Mupfure) Valley in Hartley (Chegutu). In 1938 Lightfoot sent all available field
staff to the Lowveld to update the 1:1 million geological map of Rhodesia. Less than a week
11 before the declaration of the Second World War, another geologist joined the Survey,
bringing the number of geologists to eight.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
Field mapping came to an abrupt end in 1939 when the Second World War broke out and
field mapping staff diverted their efforts to increasing production of gold and base minerals.
To achieve this, it was decided to post a geologist to each mining centre: Bulawayo, Gatooma
(Kadoma), and Gwelo (Gweru). This early attempt to decentralize services of the Geological
Survey failed because support services (chemist, mineralogist and draughtsman) were still
centralized in Salisbury with which communication systems were rudimentary. The geologists
were recalled to Salisbury.

By 1940 nine staff members, including several geologists had joined the fighting forces.
In 1945 all the field staff returned from their war-time occupations and resumed regional
mapping. Lightfoot retired in 1946 and Macgregor took over as director. To arrest the
declining gold output, it was decided to increase the number of geologists and to implement
the ex-servicemen mining rehabilitation scheme. The ex-servicemen rehabilitation scheme,
conceptualised during the war years, involved identification and reopening of selected old
mines for interested ex-soldiers. Successful applicants were allocated mining properties, paid
a salary and granted a calculated development loan for each mine they operated. The salary
was dropped when a mine proved successful and potentially self-sustaining. The loan was
gradually repaid and the operator became the owner. If a venture failed and the operator
was considered competent, the operator had the option of getting another property. The
Chief Government Mining Engineer was chairman of the scheme in a committee that
included a senior member of the Geological Survey’s field staff. Geologists from the Survey
provided support services to the scheme, involving a lot of cross-country travelling. Apart
from the main committee in Salisbury, subcommittees held monthly meetings at Bulawayo,
Gweru and Kadoma chaired by local government mining engineers. The scheme had mixed
successes, but on the whole it was considered worthwhile.

Two new geologists were recruited in 1946, and another three in 1947. Macgregor retired in
1948 and James Crighton Ferguson, who had joined the Survey as geologist in1930 became
director for twelve years until 1960. Meanwhile, British geologist Albert Edward Phaup who
had initially joined the Survey in 1930 and left in 1939, re-joined the Survey in 1947 and was
sent to map the Kariba Gorge and its environs in preparation of dam work. In his pre-war
stint, Phaup had completed geological mapping of the Mutare Greenstone belt between
1933 and 1935. There were a few more recruitments and resignations such that by the end
of 1950 there were 10 geologists at the Survey.

The main achievements in this period were allocation of new larger office space to the
Survey in 1940, the institution of the post-war ex-servicemen rehabilitation scheme, the
geological groundwork in preparation of Kariba Dam construction. The early, unsuccessful
attempt at service decentralization in 1939 is noteworthy.
12
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

4.3 1950-1960
An extensive diamond drilling programme in 1950 around Kwekwe, supervised by Worst
led to the establishment of Riscom Steelworks (later Zisco Steel) in Redcliff, Kwekwe. In the
same year the 1:1 million geological map was updated to incorporateMashonaland dolerites
intruding the granitic terrain in eastern Zimbabwe. This was economically important on
account of the Inyati Copper Mine and Umkondo Copper Mine, and speculative nickel
potential associated with these dolerites. Other important projects undertaken in the 1950s
include coal resource mapping and drilling programme in Wankie (Hwange) District and
in the Middle Sabi (Save) Valley, mapping of greenstone belts (Chegutu, Mberengwa and
Masvingo), mapping of mines (Cam & Motor and Bikita mine), and mapping of the Miami
(Mwami) Mica Field, Sinoia (Chinhoyi) and southern Urungwe (Hurungwe) areas in the
Makonde and Hurungwe districts, as well as detailed mapping of the Great Dyke.

Highlights during this period include the discovery of Sandawana emeralds in Mberengwa, the
adoption of geochemical methods of mineral exploration, first trialled in the Penhalonga area
and around Kwekwe, and the institution of Regional Geologists for Harare, Gweru, Kadoma
and Bulawayo. The geochemical methods included collecting deep regolith samples by power
auguring and analysing them, and use of spectrographic equipment for rapid identification
of pegmatite minerals, including lithium ores. The instrument proved exceptionally useful
during the 1960’s nickel boom.Three new geologists were appointed during this period and
were assigned to three different areas: Shurugwi, Mvuma and Shangani-Fort Rixon.

Ferguson retired as director of the Survey in March 1960, whereupon Francis Leslie Amm,
who had joined the Survey in 1933, took over as director. During the first 50 years of the
Geological Survey, 48 bulletins, 37 short reports and several Mineral Resources Series
booklets were published.

4.4 1961-1969
Most of the account of the history of the Geological Survey to 1960 as summarized above,
was drawn mainly from Tyndale-Biscoe (1972). The main reference for the years 1961 to
1995 is Fey (1997), supplemented by other accounts such as Broderick (2010).

In early 1962 Phaup, who had been based in Gweru since re-joining the Geological Survey in
1947, succeeded Amm as director; Amm himself had been promoted to become the Director
of Mines. The fifth edition of the 1: 1million geological map of Rhodesia was published in
1962. Between April and June 1964, the Geological Survey building, then housing the Mines
Department and Mining Commissioner’s office, was extended and refurbished. The Survey
played a key role in the organization of the 7th Congress of the Geological Society of South
Africa held in Salisbury in July 1964, and a lesser role in the September 1962 Symposium on
13 Pegmatites along with the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
In 1964, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) attained independence and Southern Rhodesia became
known as Rhodesia and, consequently, ‘Southern’ was also dropped from the Survey’s name
to become Rhodesia Geological Survey.

A long standing request for a salary review for geologists was heeded by the Public Services
Board in 1966, leading to an influx of new relatively young geologists. The department was
reconfigured and staff re-graded. The first locally trained geologist, Ian Robertson, joined the
Survey in 1965. From March 1966, the re-configured Rhodesia Geological Survey consisted
of Director, Deputy Director, 4 Regional Geologists, 1 Economic Geologist, 1 Mineralogist
and 18field geologists. The field section was centralized from Harare but geologists could be
posted to regional offices, depending on their mapping assignments.

Phaup retired as director of the Survey in March 1967 and was replaced by deputy director
John Walter Wiles who had joined the Survey in 1947. Phaup re-joined the Survey as a
temporary geologist in August 1967 in which capacity he edited 13 bulletins and numerous
reports, and mentored Geological Survey staff. His initial contract was for one year but he
worked for 10 years in this capacity until his retirement in 1978 whereupon he returned to
Britain and died there in September 1990. In recognition of his contribution to the Survey
and to the geology of Zimbabwe, the Rhodesia Geological Survey library was named the
A. E. Phaup Library in April 1974. In 1978, Phaup was awarded an honorary Doctorate of
Science by the University of Rhodesia.

4.5 1970-1979
During this period, thanks to the boost in staff numbers from 1966, at least 9 geologists
were mapping in the field. The 6th edition of the 1:1 million geological map of Zimbabwe
was published to coincide with the ‘Granite 71’ symposium held in Harare (then Salisbury)
in August-September 1971. The mapping momentum was hampered by the intensifying
liberation struggle which entered its decisive phase from 1972. Geologists would be called up
to do service in the Rhodesian security forces while many others tendered their resignation.
New British graduates who had no military commitments took up some of the vacated
posts. However due to the deteriorating security situation, all rural regional mapping was
suspended at the end of the 1977 field season.

The Rhodesian Branch of the Geological Society of South Africa organized the successful
Metallogenesis ’76 congress on mineral deposits in 1976. In the same year, director Wiles
retired and was replaced by John Gerard Norman Stagman who had joined the Survey in
1946. Stagman led the effort to compile the seventh edition of the 1:1 million geological map
published in 1977 and the accompanying Bulletin 80, “An outline of the Geology of Rhodesia”
which was published in 1978. Another milestone during this period was reappraisal of the
Achaean Geology of Zimbabwe by the Belingwe Team led by Prof. J.F Wilson (formerly on 14
the Geological Survey staff) with Dr. Anthony Martin, Dr. John Orpen, Dr. Euan Nisbet and
Dr. Mike Bickle. Their mapping of the Belingwe (Mberengwa) Greenstone Belt contributed
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

enormously to the understanding of Zimbabwe Archaean stratigraphy. Stagman retired as

Director in June 1978 and was succeeded by his deputy, Euen Richie Morrison who had
joined the Rhodesia Geological Survey in 1967. When Morrison took over, many of the 26
posts for geologists were vacant, but Stagman continued as Editor.

The liberation struggle culminated in the Lancaster House talks that paved way for
Zimbabwe’s independence in April 1980. The two years leading to independence were an
interim period symbolized by the country’s transitional name Zimbabwe Rhodesia, which
was born out of a widely discredited internal settlement that excluded the larger sections of
the liberation movement.

4.6 1980-1989
Upon attainment of independence in 1980, international sanctions imposed following
Rhodesia’s unilateral declaration of independence in 1965 were lifted. Keen investment
interest in the Zimbabwean economy ensued, with foreign governments offering technical
cooperation within the mining and other sectors. In mining, significant technical cooperation
agreements were signed with the British, German, Canadian, Japanese, French and North
Korean governments. Many of the agreements were executed in partnership with the
Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS). The British Geological Survey funded and executed
mapping programmes in selected areas and studied structural controls of gold mineralization
in Zimbabwe. The Federal German Geological Survey (BGR) reviewed several coalfields
and the Lower Karoo Group in Zimbabwe between 1982 and 1984, and conducted a
magnetotelluric survey in the Lower Zambezi Valley, including an interpretation on the
depth to magnetic basement from aeromagnetic data generated during uranium exploration,
leading to a hydrocarbon exploration agreement between the Government of Zimbabwe
and Mobil Oil. In 1986-1988, the BGR undertook geological, geophysical and geochemical
mapping of an area west of Guruve. The Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA) conducted aeromagnetic surveys in Zimbabwe, covering nearly 70% of the country
in three phases between 1983 and 1990. Another significant contribution by BGR was the
setting up of a remote sensing facility initially housed at the ZGS before it was moved to
the Scientific and Industrial Research Development Centre (SIRDC).The French Geological
Survey (BRGM) and the North Korean assistance supported specific mapping or mineral
exploration programmes. The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) has supported
many exploration and training programmes to date, with many ZGS staff having visited Japan
for hands-on training programmes. JICA’s main projects in Zimbabwe included the Snake’s
Head platinum exploration on the northern part of the Great Dyke, nickel exploration near
Shamva, base metal exploration in Makonde, and gold exploration in the Midlands.

Apart from the technical cooperation projects, the ZGS continued to execute its main functions
15 in the first decade of independence. Geological mapping recommenced towards the end of
1980 under the supervision and logistical support of Tim Broderick, Chief Field Geologist.
Areas mapped in-house and through aid-related projects include Filabusi (1981-1983),
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
Bindura (1985-1989), Norton (1985), Dorowa-Shawa (1986),Doma (1986-1987),Guruve-
West (1986-1989), Matamve north of Beitbridge (1983-1984), Centenary-Mount Darwin
(1981-1983); Rushinga-Nyamapanda (1983-1985); Harare (1983-1986), Bulawayo (1983-
1986), Mutandahwe (1982) and Dande West (1988-1991). Regional gravity measurements
resumed in 1982 after revival of the geophysical unit; exploration continued to be monitored
by the Economic Geology section; Regional offices were all manned and the coal resources
database continued to be maintained and mineral deposit summaries compiled/ updated.
The geological conditions at numerous sites for large and small dams across the country
were reported on for the Designs Branch of the Ministry of Water and Water Development
and for private engineers as an ongoing service.

Despite the upgrading of the ZGS within the civil service structure, staff retention remained
a problem, with the director himself (Morrison) taking early retirement in April 1989, leaving
Nick Baglow as Acting Director. In the period 1980-1989, 6 geological maps, 4 bulletins,
2 short reports, 3 volumes of mineral resources series reports, 6 reports on Zimbabwe’s
coalfields, and annual issues of the ZGS Annals were published. The Annals continued to
reflect the achievements of the Geological Survey by way of summary reports on regional
mapping, economic updates, exploration reviews and miscellaneous articles.

4.7 1990-2016
Dr. John Orpen who had lectured at the University of Zimbabwe since 1980 was appointed
Director of the ZGS in January 1990, inheriting an under-staffed entity. The significant salary
gap between the private and public sectors was a major impediment in any efforts to attract
and retain geologists, although most junior posts were filled by 1993. However, the ZGS was
crippled in that its functions were under-funded within the national budgetary allocations.

Significant technical cooperation projects that were executed beyond 1990 include the re-
establishment of a well-equipped geophysical unit by CIDA, the continued BGS support
through funding of the position of Economic Geologist and an Editor, BGR monitoring of
oil exploration by Mobil Oil in the Zambezi Valley, Australian funding of three expatriate
geology positions, including that of Chief Field Geologist Peter Fey in 1992-1995.

The BGS had declined to fund further purely regional geological mapping projects as not
having direct economic implications. In this context, apart from funding Economic Geologist
and Editor positions, the BGS agreed to sponsor an initiative of E.R. Morrison (following a
visit to Canada) of a project to review the structural controls of gold in Zimbabwe. This
project, which was headed by Messrs S. D. G. Campbell and P. E. J. Pitfield and focussed
on the Midlands Greenstone Belt, resulted in the publication of Bulletin 101 in 1994, which
covered structural implications relating to gold across most Zimbabwe greenstone belts.
16
By the early-mid 1990’s, there were early signs that technical cooperation project funding
was drying up. When Fey and his fellow Australian geologists arrived, field mapping had
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

ceased with the resignation in 1991 of Baglow who then headed the field unit. The Director
Dr. Orpen himself resigned in August 1993 and was replaced by his deputy, S. M. N. Ncube
who initially worked in an acting capacity until 1994 after which he became substantive
director for one year in 1995. Ncube was seconded to the Ministry of Mines head office in
1996 and was replaced by W. Magalela in an acting capacity before being confirmed Director
in 1997. Magalela resigned in 1997 and was replaced by F. Mugumbate who was Acting
Director until 2002 when T. M. Hawadi was appointed substantive Director. By 1997 there
were only two on-going, but winding up, technical cooperation projects at the ZGS and
the department was severely depleted in staff numbers. Traditionally, the ZGS employed
only those geologists with at least a four-year Honours degree in geology. In 1997, Acting
Director Magalela secured the authorization to employ geologists with three-year degrees in
geology and recruited four geologists under this scheme in 1997. By 2001 three of them had
attained the Honours degree through a year of further study at the University of Zimbabwe
with the support of the ZGS. In an effort to resume regional geological mapping, the ZGS
under Magalela recruited Drs H. Bouammar and A. AitKaci, both of Algerian extraction, as
senior field geologists. They, respectively, mapped south of Mataga (Mberengwa) and north
of Gokwe up until 2001, representing the last formal regional field mapping work by the
ZGS to-date.

The loss of technical cooperation funding has not been made-up for in subsequent budget
allocations, leaving the ZGS perennially underfunded. Thus, although the post-independence
technical cooperation projects represented a major accelerator of geological work at the
ZGS, this kind of funding proved to be unsustainable. The technical projects were headed
by expatriates who were relatively well-remunerated courtesy of their home institutions/
governments, but the local ZGS staff relied solely on remarkably lower local salaries. During
the same period, Zimbabwe was experiencing an exploration boom with a plethora of
companies offering better salaries than the government. Thus, there was a mass exodus
of staff to take up positions in private companies and only skeletal staff, mainly expatriates
remained at the ZGS for a while to maintain essential services.

The economy of Zimbabwe further declined over the period 2000 to 2008 by a compound
annual rate of 6.4% on the back of hyperinflation, financial sector instability, company
closures, low capacity utilisation, among other challenges. Although in 2009 the economy
stabilised as a result of dollarisation, some challenges have continued and as a result the
revenue base of government shrunk, hence affecting budget allocations across all sectors of
the economy. The national estimated budget allocations to the ZGS have ranged between
US$300000 to US$700000 over the period 2009 to 2016 and in 2017 it is estimated at
US$482000. Although the allocations have increased, their share as a percentage of the total
budget has declined from 0.03% in 2009 to an estimate of 0.01% in 2017.The underfunding
17 of the ZGS continues to undermine its ability to effectively execute its mandate.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

Figure 1. National budget allocations to ZGS, 2009 to 2017. Source: Government

Estimates of Expenditure.

However, in 2003 the government embarked on the ‘Look East Policy’. This not only drew
some mining and mineral exploration investment from countries like China and Russia, but
also kindled new technical cooperation initiatives. For example at the time of reporting,
the ZGS was rounding up a regional geochemistry mapping programme in partnership with
the Chinese Geological Survey. Similarly, Japan, through JOGMEG, has continued to offer
training scholarships to ZGS staff and at the time of reporting, was partnering the ZGS to
undertake a remote sensing mapping programme in Zimbabwe. Remote sensing provides
rapid appraisal of the geology of an area, but should be subjected to ground control to
improve reliability.

The Government Institutional Strengthening Project, being implemented in Zimbabwe

with the support from the African Development Bank, includes direct support to the ZGS.
This support includes capacitation of Zimbabwe Geological Survey through i) supply of
cartographic, geophysical and geological equipment ii) training and iii) editing and printing
of bulletins.

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 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

5. Lessons from the history of the ZGS

The century-plus history of the ZGS is replete with invaluable lessons that may be used to
help shape the future of the ZGS. Some of these lessons are:

§ Dedication to duty and passion for geology: The Geological Survey started off with
a staff complement of only 3 geologists whose dedication to duty saw them achieve a
high mapping coverage of the country with their meagre resources: the initial annual
budget for the Survey was only £4000, and up to 1925 the only means of transport were
donkey or mule wagons. There is need to engender the ethos of service from all staff
at the ZGS.

§ Autonomy: In the early days under the directorship of Maufe, the Geological Survey
was a semi-autonomous entity answerable directly to the colonial Administration.
When it was felt that Maufe had become ‘a law unto himself’, the Geological Survey
was relegated to a department under the Secretary for Mines and Roads. Today many
geological surveys have transformed to become semi-autonomous agencies, from being
government departments to ease off bureaucratic hurdles and embolden decision
making and implementation.

§ Decentralization: When the Second World War broke out in 1939, field mapping
stopped and economic geology work with mines was prioritized. Geologists were sent
to regional mining centres but were recalled to Harare (Salisbury) when it became
clear that to be effective they required a whole suite of support services: chemists,
mineralogists, metallurgists, etc. Later on decentralization with all complementary staff
available at a regional centre for at least some of the time, was more successful.

§ Commercialization: Noting that rock and mineral identification for the public,
prospectors and miners was taking too much of the Survey’s time, then director
Lightfoot entertained the idea of charging a fee for the services. The idea was however
dropped citing potential complications, but was continued proudly as an important free
service to prospectors and the public in general. Is commercialization of at least some
of the services of a geological survey worthwhile pursuing in today’s environment? Some
geological Surveys earn as much as 30% of their annual budgets from research and
contract work (see Section 9).

§ Exploration: In the 1950s an exploration section was established within the Geological
Survey to undertake exploration programmes, mainly a drilling programme to improve
19 the prospectivity of areas under regolith cover, such as that around Golden Valley west
of Kadoma.This kind of initiative does not constitute exploration, it is more like an
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
older version of Exploration Incentive Scheme of the Geological Survey of Western
Australia (GSWA), or a similar scheme run by South Africa’s CGS under their Mineral
and Energy Resources programme. The Australian scheme involves exploration
facilitation, innovative drilling promotion, provision of geophysical and geochemical data,
three-dimensional mineral prospectivity modelling and strategic embedded research
with industry. In particular GSWA co-funds innovative drilling in greenfields and under-
explored areas to stimulate private sector resource exploration. Similarly under the
scheme run by South Africa’s CGS, data gathering and assessments are undertaken at
national and regional scales and provided to the mineral industry. Both versions of the
incentive scheme seek to provide pre-competitive geoscience information to stimulate
increased private sector resource exploration, potentially leading to new mineral
discoveries and greater understanding of the country’s geology and resources.

In general geological surveys do not do actual exploration; they facilitate exploration.

Junior mining companies utilize the precompetitive datasets to undertake grassroots
exploration before giving way to major mining houses to undertake advanced exploration
that may lead to discoveries.

§ Staff retention: Although some Geological Survey staff remained in service for
lengthy periods of time as a carrier path, on average the staff turnover has always been
high. The Public Service Board had consistently refused to increase staff salaries until
1966. After the salary increases, the staffing situation improved and the Survey could
send more staff to the field than was previously possible. According to T. Broderick
(personal communication, December 2016), at $250 per month plus $2 a day in Travel
& Subsistence allowances, one could live on the latter and save the salary living in a
caravan. As a result, the period 1967-1978 was one of the most productive for the ZGS
in terms of regional mapping progress, even though there were disturbances due to the
escalating liberation struggle. During periods of thriving mining and mineral exploration,
Geological Surveys can only attract and retain the best geoscience professionals by
closing or at least significantly reducing the salary gap between the private and public
sectors.

20
 21
Figure 2. Proposed new structure of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey. Source: Zimbabwe Geological Survey.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

6. Structure of the ZGS

When fully constituted by the 1970’s, the then Rhodesia Geological Survey consisted of
the following sections: Field Mapping, Mining/ Regional geology, Economic Geology,
Cartography, Mineralogy (with slide-making and spectrographic facilities), the Library and
the Geochemical Laboratory. In 1981, P.P. Zhou re-established a geophysics section at the
ZGS, thus reviving regional geophysics experimentation, notably gravity survey, which ran
from 1975 to 1976. Another milestone in 1981 was the setting up of a remote sensing facility
within the ZGS under a technical cooperation agreement between the ZGS and the German
Geological Survey (BGR). The facility was headed by A. B. Made until it was transferred to
the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) in the early 1990s.
In many Geological Surveys, such South Africa’s CGS and the Geological Survey of Namibia
(GSN), remote sensing is a key tool in field mapping and is therefore housed within the
Geological Surveys. Departure of the remote sensing unit from the ZGS coincided with
cessation of mapping and this could have diminished relevance of the remote sensing unit in
the short term.

The above structural organization, less the remote sensing unit, was the one officially in
place at the time of reporting, but a new structure (Figure 2) was being proposed. According
to the ZGS Director, M. T. Hawadi, the new structure was meant to improve compliance
with the decentralization of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development. In the proposed
structure, the Mining Geology section has been moved to the provinces and a new section,
the Applied Geology section has been created at the ZGS head office. The roles of the
applied Geology Section will include collation of provincial data and coordination of provincial
activities, and initiating and maintaining new non-traditional Geological Survey functions
such as geo-hazard mapping, environmental geology, engineering geology, geo-tourism and
climate change studies.

The decentralization of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has led to the transfer
of the Mining Geology section of the ZGS to the provinces. Previously the ZGS had Regional
Geology offices in Bulawayo and Gweru, manned by two geologists at the most. These
would also serve mining offices in Kadoma, Masvingo and Mutare as scheduled from time to
time. In the new decentralized structure of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development,
there would be 40 geologists in the provincial offices (Figure 2) who would dually report
to Provincial Directors and to the Director of the ZGS. Geology posts for geologists in
the provinces are Ministry rather than ZGS posts but through establishment of the Applied
Geology section, the ZGS has instituted a mechanism to share provincial information with
the Ministry geologists. For the ZGS, the regional (now provincial) presence is not a new
thing except that instead of the previous 5 mining districts, there are now 10 provinces, each
with 5 geologists (instead of 2). The rest of the ZGS units remain centralized at head office. 22
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

7. The ZGS in the eyes of former and current

employees
The history of the ZGS as chronicled above shows that many people of diverse backgrounds
and aptitudes have been or are currently employed by the ZGS. Their experiences at
the ZGS vis-à-vis their expectations during their engagement with the ZGS can usefully
inform the direction that the ZGS should take towards its goal of becoming a world-class
organization. Crucially, some of the past employees of the ZGS moved on to join reputable
national, regional or international organizations and thus collectively have a rich story of how
organizations exploit opportunities and address challenges along the road to world-class
status.

Questionnaires were sent to many surviving former employees and to current employees
of the ZGS (and its legal predecessors) to tap into their ideas of how the ZGS could be
transformed into a more efficient, well-resourced organization. Tables 2 summarizes views
of three past employees of the ZGS who had stints at the ZGS in the 1970s.

Table 2.Views of former ZGS employees on historical opportunities, successes and

challenges of the ZGS.
Employee ID FE01 FE02 FE03
Period at ZGS 1971-1980;1992-1995 1970-1976 1970-1980
Challenges • Shortages of professional staff • War came • War came with it:
encountered • Derelict vehicle fleet with it: »» UDI sanctions
»» Military call- »» High Staff turnover
ups of ZGS »» Disruption in mapping
staff. activity in countryside
• Emigration of • Inadequate vehicles and
staff. field equipment.
How challenges • Recruitment of expatriate • Recruitment of • Not resolved
were overcome senior staff sponsored by new overseas
technical cooperation/ foreign staff
aid programmes in 1992-
1995
• Several new field vehicles
were acquired by the ZGS in
1994

23
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

Period • 1928-1939: more geologists • 1970s: • 1947-1977: Most

considered as the recruited, introduction of recruitment geological mapping, with
most successful photogrammetry mapping of 14 new excellent publications
for ZGS technologies geologists. (bulletins) produced
• 1965-1975: Improved salaries: during this period.
»» Attracted many geologists
to the ZGS, accelerating
mapping pace.
»» Permitted opening of
Gweru and Bulawayo
regional offices
»» Recruitment of full-time
editor, permitting timeous
editing.
Views on • Increases bureaucracy, not • A good move • Likely to lead to
decentralization productivity especially duplication of positions
of the Ministry of • Regional offices have if there is and resources
Mines and Mining successfully been manned a senior • There is need for one
Development by regional geologist and supervisor/ central office to store
secretary; with additional mentor in maps, reports, tenement
geologists, mining engineers each province. records, cartographic
and metallurgists visiting only • In the 1970s, section, etc.
upon request. field staff were • Geologists and
• Drafting capability should be left to their mining engineers,
retained in Harare. own devices. not metallurgists and
cartographers, can work
out of regional offices.
• From many years
of experience with
mining organizations,
decentralisation is
expensive for no gain in
productivity.
Current • Engaged to assist with backlog • No need to • No official contacts with
interaction with in editing publications. interface with the ZGS.
ZGS the ZGS from
Australia
• Follows some
developments
via the ZGS
newsletter.

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 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

Ideas on • Offer competitive salaries. • Not intimate • One large central office
reconfiguration of • Some senior roles may be with ZGS • Regional offices with
the ZGS reserved for experienced developments very few geologists and
expatriates. • For mining mining engineers
• At present ZGS should industry • Main function is
concentrate on revamping its in general, geological mapping –
core roles of: Zimbabwe aim to produce the
»» Regional geological needs to 1:250,000 map of
mapping and publication create a Zimbabwe.
»» Servicing small-scale miners favourable • ZGS should help ensure
»» Provision of geological investment conducive mining
advice and mineral climate. investment environment
identification »» Tenements granted
»» Maintenance of the quickly
country’s mineral inventory »» Workable Mining Law
• Additional functions to be »» Knowledgeable
added when funding, staffing geologists should
levels and expertise permit. provide assistance to
small-scale miners.

Sixteen current employees of the ZGS responded to a questionnaire soliciting their views on
challenges, opportunities, and successes of the ZGS and their ideas towards a world-class
ZGS. Their responses are summarised in Table 3.

Table 3.Views of current ZGS employees on historical opportunities, successes and

challenges of the ZGS.
Question Responses
Main challenges • Lack of project funding
facing ZGS • Very low, pathetic salaries
• Lack of equipment and vehicles
• Offices poorly furnished
»» Poor or no desks and cabinets
»» Lack of air conditioners
»» Poor or no internet access
• No on-going geological mapping
• High staff turnover and skills flight
• Under-utilisation of human resources
Additional • Geostatistical mineral resources evaluation
functions for the • More detailed geological mapping of Zimbabwe, e.g. 1:250,000 map of
ZGS Zimbabwe
• Re-establish the mineral exploration section at the ZGS
• Be the country’s chief geoscientific research institution
• Providing short courses to small-scale miners
• Providing geoscience appreciation to school students to encourage uptake of
25 geoscience at universities
• The ZGS must re-tool and resume the basic geological mapping function and
remap emerging areas of importance such as the Marange Diamond Field area.
No additional functions required at this stage.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

Periods when Current employees consider successes and challenges for the ZGS in the following
ZGS was most periods:
successful • 1910-1935: Productive formative years of the ZGS, though to an extent affected
by the First World War.
• 1935-1965: Activities to 1940 were disrupted by the Second World War.
Thereafter there was productive geological mapping and a revamping of small-
scale mining.
• 1965-1980: Though hampered by the liberation struggle and UDI sanctions,
this period was very productive and churned out a lot of quality publications
underpinned by a boost in staff morale due to improved salary scales.
• 1980-1990: The ZGS was relatively well-resourced due to funding
commitments from the new government and foreign-supported technical
cooperation projects.
• 1997-present: One of the worst periods for the ZGS due to paucity of
resources, lack of experienced staff and centralized budget control.
Views on Positive:
decentralization • Improved ZGS services access to small scale miners
• Reduced workload at HQ

Negative:
• Decentralisation costly financially
• Experienced staff taken away from HQ to provinces
• Dual reporting at province and to HQ confusing
• Information-scattering in provinces – geological information must be housed at
ZGS HQ
What can be done • Encourage foreign direct investment (FDI) in mining
to improve work • Training workshops on service delivery for all staff
of the ZGS? • ZGS should embrace modern technologies in its functions, e.g. remote sensing
in mapping
• ZGS should institute staff-retention schemes, including higher staff salaries
• ZGS should request local budgetary powers
• Revamp the internet infrastructure at the ZGS
• Arrange further training for ZGS staff

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 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

8. ZGS in the eyes of clients

Clients of the ZGS include members of the public, mineral prospectors, small-scale miners,
large scale miners and the country’s institutions, including educational institutions, and
professional associations such as the Geological Society of Zimbabwe. Questionnaires
were administered among members of the public/ prospectors as well as members of the
Zimbabwe Geological Society. Members of the public and mineral prospectors generally
seek free mineral identification and geological advice from the ZGS and therefore their
assessment of the services of the ZGS can usefully inform the ZGS on how to improve its
day to day service delivery to the public. Geological Society members are a specialised,
well-informed clientele that is knowledgeable on geoscientific matters and can make useful
suggestions on how the ZGS should operate at function and policy levels.

8.1 Members of the public and mineral prospectors

The questionnaire administered among small-scale miners sought to collect their views
on what additional functions they would like the ZGS to offer, how decentralization was
influencing their work, how the ZGS should respond to the decentralization of the parent
Ministry, and their ideas about how the ZGS should be reconfigured. A summary of responses
to these questions is captured in Table 4.

Table 4. Suggestions from members of the public on reconfiguration of the ZGS

Question Responses
What additional functions would you • Public libraries in provinces
like the ZGS to provide? • Library borrowing facilities to public
• E-library resources.
• Computerize all information
• Analytical instrumentation, e.g. rapid proximal XRF.
• Geological and mining news magazine
• Publicly available internet facilities at ZGS offices.
• Electronic access to geoscientific and tenements data
• Provincial mining and exploration equipment hire scheme
• Regular outreach meetings/ workshops/ seminars with
miners, e.g. every two months to disseminate geological
updates.
• Re-start regional geological mapping and mineral
exploration programmes, including greenfields exploration
and geophysics.
• Fully equipped gemmology unit
How has the decentralization of the • ZGS now less visible as provinces are under-resourced
Ministry of Mines influenced your • Some areas, such as Harare have been disadvantaged as
work? residents have to travel to provinces for ministry of mines
services; not all services are available at provinces, e.g. no
libraries yet.
27 • ZGS should place copies of all HQ information at provinces
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

How should the ZGS respond to the • ZGS should set targets for provinces
decentralization of the Ministry of • Provinces should be autonomous and fully resourced
Mines? • Publicise the decentralization and educate people on how
to access geological services in newspapers and on the
radio.
What are your ideas regarding the • ZGS should be an independent fully resourced entity
proposed reconfiguration of the ZGS? • ZGS should set up an exploration unit
• ZGS should map and remap areas
• Proactive information dissemination, including general
geology and new discoveries.
• Modernize/ computerize, e.g. provide online platform for
data access
• Carry out needs assessments among small scale miners on
reconfiguration
• Encourage large scale miners to assist small-scale miners
• Publish outstanding bulletins and reports
• Introduce latest technologies in mapping and mineral
exploration.

8.2 Geological Society of Zimbabwe

Thirteen members of the Zimbabwe Geological Society responded substantially to a
questionnaire seeking their views on how best the ZGS can be reconfigured to better serve
the geoscientific needs of Zimbabwe and the world. Most of the Society members who
responded are resident in Zimbabwe but others are based in Southern Africa or overseas.
Most of the members interact with the Zimbabwe Geological Survey via different forums
such as the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines, Geological Society meetings, liaisons in specific
tasks upon request, editing Geological Survey Bulletins, visits to the ZGS for specific purposes
such as to purchase of publications or to use the library. Responses of the members of the
Geological Society are summarized under the sub-headings below.

8.1.1 Additional functions envisaged for the ZGS

Asked what additional functions they would like introduced at the ZGS, members of the
Zimbabwe Geological Society listed items which, as aptly captured by one respondent,
mostly amount to asking the ZGS to re-introduce former functions, such as regional mapping,
rock cutting and thin section preparation, optical mineralogy, geochemistry laboratory work,
gemmology work, regular updates of mineral production statistics and provision of more
efficient library services. Many respondents bemoaned that at the time the questionnaire
was administered, bulletins remained unpublished more than two decades after the mapping
was completed. However, the ZGS has recently moved to clear this backlog, with some
members of the Geological Society having been contracted for the requisite editing. A
chorus call from the respondents was to have ZGS publications available online free of
charge or at minimal cost, in line with international trends. A suggestion was that before final
publication, some reports and bulletins could be made available online to promote mineral 28
exploration and investment. In terms of new functions, one respondent suggested that
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

the ZGS should be the natural sciences centre incorporating hydrogeological, pedological,
and geomorphological mapping and capacitated to carry out spatial intelligence analyses
integrating several searchable datasets. According to one respondent, the ZGS should take a
leading role in guiding the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development in formulating investor
friendly mining policy and legislation. Echoing this view another respondent pointed out
that the ZGS should be the first port of call for mining investment and must live up to that
expectation by providing ready access to basic geological information, including an up-dated
1:1million map of Zimbabwe.

8.1.2 Views on decentralization of the Ministry of Mines and Mining

Development
The Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development has decentralized by establishing
provincial offices headed by a Provincial Mining Director (PMD). The provincial offices are
complete with geologists, mining engineers, metallurgists, draftspersons, and administrators.
Geologists report to the PMD, as well as to the Zimbabwe Geological Survey head office
at Maufe Building, Harare. The same dual reporting applies to engineers and metallurgists
who in addition to reporting to the PMD, also report to the Chief Government Mining
Engineer and Director of Metallurgy, respectively. Views were sought from members of
the Zimbabwe Geological Society regarding this move which itself constitutes a significant
restructuring and expansion of the ministry.

According to one respondent, decentralization could be a good move as long as there is

adequate supervision and autonomy, and an investor friendly, free and fair dispensation of
the duties among the decentralised provincial offices, and instantaneous central oversight. A
common concern among the respondents is that decentralization has removed experienced
staff from the Geological Survey head office through promotions to higher provincial posts,
including directorships. A more averse view is that decentralization was a premature move
as the requisite human and financial resources capacities were lacking. The move was
intended to make services of the Ministry more accessible to the local mining communities
within provinces but according to one respondent, the opposite could result: a less efficient
inaccessible service. One respondent noted that only the mining geology service to the
mining industry is what has been decentralized from the ZGS. The respondent implored
that in that situation, the ZGS should remain the central data repository fed with high quality
data from the provinces.

8.1.3 What should the ZGS do to remain relevant in a decentralizing parent

Ministry?
A widely shared view among the respondents is that the ZGS needs to concentrate on its
core business of mapping the country and step up this by embracing remote sensing and
29 geophysical mapping technologies recognizing that the ZGS itself has not decentralized. The
ZGS must remain a central data repository while the provinces should focus on administering
mining titles and site visits, reports of which must be effeciently transmitted to the ZGS.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
One respondent pointed out that development of robust Information Communication
Technologies (ICT), underpinned by a user-friendly website, must be expedited to facilitate
efficient information exchange between the ZGS and the provinces. Whereas one respondent
called for a reversal of the decentralisation move, another suggested that the system can
become robust and sustainable through active trial-testing. Another respondent observed
that for the ZGS to survive and make important contributions to the national economy, the
ZGS should come up with relevant training courses in areas such as field mapping for its
largely new and inexperienced staff. The respondent noted that the Council for Geoscience
of South Africa enrols its junior staff in such courses and pointed out that this could easily
be adapted for Zimbabwe given the availability of experienced ex-Geological Survey
geologists still in Zimbabwe who are willing to be contracted to mentor junior geologists.
The respondent also noted that the ZGS could, additionally, tap into the strength of South
African institutions by sending junior staff there for training.

8.1.4 Suggestions for restructuring of the ZGS

This study is about reconfiguration or restructuring of the ZGS. Most people would agree
that at the time of this study, the ZGS was not operating optimally and that some sort
of reorganisation was required. The ZGS itself has the vision of becoming a world-class
geoscientific organization, a dream whose realisation calls for rebranding. However, most
responses from members of the Zimbabwe Geological Society suggest that the ZGS must
re-establish its former services and functions before any expansion or reconfiguration can be
meaningfully instituted or, as one Society member put it, the ZGS ‘must learn to walk again
before it can fly’. Elaborating this point, Society members pointed out that the ZGS needs
to secure funding to rebuild its human resources capacity (including experienced mentors),
infrastructure and equipment stocks. In particular, the members pointed out that the field
mapping (data collection) and data management (data analysis, archiving, and distribution)
sections must be revamped and experienced people appointed to head them. A respondent
noted that the ZGS should be the central geoscientific databank of the country and should
introduce world-standard mapping techniques and produce new maps which are the basis
of new exploration and investment.

8.1.5 Which geological surveys can be models for the ZGS to emulate?
To avoid re-inventing the wheel, this study posed a question to the experts: ‘which geological
survey in the world can Zimbabwe learn from the most’? The Namibia Geological Survey,
the Council for Geoscience of South Africa and the British Geological Survey featured as the
most preferred models for Zimbabwe. Geological Surveys of Botswana, Malawi, Australia
and the USA were also mentioned but were certainly not considered as top models. The
Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) was not mentioned but its transformation into a
semi-autonomous state agency may provide useful lessons for Zimbabwe. One participant
indicated that the Geological Survey of Namibia is generally considered to be the SADC 30
model for a Geological Survey.
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

9. Geological Surveys worldwide

The existence of a Geological Survey is not unique to Zimbabwe; most countries have
Geological Surveys or differently named entities that perform Geological Survey functions.
For example, the former Geological Survey of South Africa, founded in 1912, became
the Council for Geoscience in 1993. One of the oldest Geological Surveys, known as the
British Geological Survey since 1984, started in 1835 as the Ordinance Geological Survey.
When colonial authorities in the then Southern Rhodesia established the Southern Rhodesia
Geological Survey (now Zimbabwe Geological Survey) in 1910, initial suggestions were that
the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which had been established in 1879, be the
model for the new Survey.

Geological surveys are crucial; every country needs them. To transform the Zimbabwe
Geological Survey (ZGS) into world-class organisation, there is need to analyse the
resourcing, functions, legal status and service delivery of other Geological Surveys and
develop a sound reconfiguration strategy within the Zimbabwean context. To that end, a
literature survey, including internet research and questionnaire surveys, were conducted on
selected Geological Surveys. In addition, study tours to the Council for Geoscience of South
Africa and to the Geological Survey of Namibia were undertaken; this aspect is summarised
separately in Section 10.

To gain more insights about Geological Surveys that were not physically visited, questionnaires
were administered online to key contact personnel at several Geological Surveys probing
specific issues. Ten responses, of which four were complete, were obtained. The four,
obtained from the Geological Survey of Western Australia, the Geological Survey of
Brazil, the Geological Survey of Finland, and the Geological Survey of the Netherlands, are
summarized in Table 5.

One of the leading Geological Surveys in the world, the BGS, operates 12 well-resourced
sites containing thousands of assets. The organisational structure of the British Geological
Survey is shown in Figure 3 and its funding and resourcing model alluded to in Table 5
is shown graphically in Figure 4. Table 5 also captures some highlights on Geological
Surveys elsewhere, including the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) which now operates
as a semi-autonomous Executive State Agency rather than a government department.
The organisational structure of the GST is shown in Figure 5. Figures 6 and 7 show the
organisational structures of the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) and South Africa’s
Council for Geoscience (CGS), respectively.

31
Figure 3. Organisational structure of the BGS. Source: British Geological Survey (2011)

32
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

Figure 4. Funding and resourcing of the BGS for the 2014/ 2015 financial year.
Source: British Geological Survey (2015).

33
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

Figure 5. Organisational structure of the Geological Survey of Tanzania.

Source: http://www.gst.go.tz/add/about_organisational.html

34
 35
DEPARTMENT: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
1x Deputy Permanent Secretary (G2)
1x Private secretary (G8)
1x Driver (G12)
1x Messenger (G15)

Directorate: Mapping and Directorate: Applied Geo

Geo Information Science

1x Director (G3) 1x Director (G3)

1x Private secretary (G9) 1x Private secretary (G9)

Division:Regional Division:Geophysics
Division:Geo-Information Division:Engeneering & Division:Geochemistry Division:Economic Geology
Geoscience Environment &Laboratory
1x Deputy Director Geology
1x Deputy Director Geology 1x Deputy Director Geology
1x Deputy Director (G4)
1x Deputy Director 1x Deputy Director Geology
Geology (G4) (G4) (G4)
Geology (G4) (G4)

SubDivision: Statigraphy SubDivision: Geo Engineering

SubDivision: Statigraphy SubDivision: Museum SubDivision:Analytical
(Phanerezoic Geology) SubDivision: Precious &Semi
(Phanerezoic Geology) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) Geochemistry
1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) precious stones
1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) 1x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 2x Geoscientist (G8) 2x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5)
4 x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5)
1x Chief Geotechnician (G7) 1x Geotechnician(G9) 2x Geoscientist(G8) 2x Senior Geoscientist (G6)
1x Workhand(G15) 2x Senior Geoscientist (G6)
1x Geotechnician(G9) 1x Technical Assistant (G13) 1x Technical Assistanr(G13)
1x Admin Officer (G12) 1x Admin Officer (G10) 2x Geoscientist(G8)
1x Chief Geotechnician (G7) 2x Workhand(G14)
SubDivision: Library
SubDivision: Airborne 1x Geotechnical (G9)
SubDivision: Techtonics &Publications
Geophysics 1x Senior Technical Assistant
(Phanerezoic Geology) SubDivision: Precious Base
1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) Subdivision: Environment (G12)
1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) &Rare metals
2x Senior Geoscientist(G6) 1x Senior Geoscientist(G6) 3x Technical Assistant (G13)
4 x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 1x Chief Geoscientist (G5) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5)
4x Geoscientist (G8) 1x Tchnical Assistant (G13) 1x Admin Officer (G12)
4x Geoscientist(G15) 1x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 2x Senior Geoscientist(G6)
2x Workhand(G12) 1x Admin Officer (G12)
1x Geotechnician(G9) 2x Geoscientist (G8)
Subdivision: Interpretation 1x Admin Officer(G12) 1x Technical Assistant(G13)
SubDivision: GIS &Remote Subdivision: Interpretation SubDivision:Geodata
1x Chief Geoscientist (G5)
Sensing Management
2x Senior Geoscientist (G6)
1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) 1x Chief Geoscientist (G5) Subdivision:
Industrial
2x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) Minerals&Dimension Stones
3 x Senior Geoscientist (G6) Section Swakopmund Station 4x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 1x Chief Geoscientist (G5)
1x Workhand(G15) SubDivision:Crustal
4x Geoscientist (G8) 1x Senior Geoscientist (G6)
1x Admin Officer (G12) 1x Senior Geoscientist (G6)
Geophysics 1xSenior Technical
1x Geoscientist (G8) 2x Geoscientist
1x Chief Geoscientist(G5) Assistant(G12)
SubDivision:Geodata 1x Geo Technical Assistant(G9) 1x Chief Geotechnician(G7)
1x Senior Geoscientist (G6) 1x Technical Assistant(G12)
SubDivision:
Cartography Management 1x Geotechnician(G9)
1x Control Geotechician (G6) 1x Admin officer(G12)
1x Chief Cartographer(G7) 1x Geotechnician(G9) 1x Chief Geoscientist(G5)
2 x Senior Cartographer (G8) 3x Senior Geoscientist (G6)
2x Cartographer(G9) SubDivision:Crustal

Section Tsumeb Seismic Station 1x Senior Geotechician (G6)
1x Technical assistant (G13) 2x Geotechnician(G9) Geophysics
1x Chief Geotechnician(G7)
1x Geotechnician (G9) 2x Technical Assistant(G13)
1x Chief Geotechician (G7)
2x Labourer (G9) 1x Workhand(G15)


Updated :07 Sept 2016

Figure 6. Organisational structure of the Geological Survey of Namibia. Source: Study tour files
Table 5. Summary of information about other Geological Surveys
Geological Legal Status Functions Funding Model Key strengths Human Resources
Survey
British • Established 1835 • Provides knowledge of British • £45M annual • Cutting edge • 675 staff at 12 UK
Geological • Research Centre of the geology budget on average geological research sites
Survey (BGS) National Environment • NERC public good science and • Half funded from • Open release of • 58% male, 42%
Research Council research NERC data female
(NERC) • Overseas research and • Other half from • One of the most • 81% full-time, 19%
• NERC, established development programmes competitively productive research part-time
by a Royal Charter, tendered public centres in the • BGS has a ‘People
is supported mainly and private sector world, e.g. BGS Matter’ programme
by the Department research, data publishes about to promote
for Business, Energy licensing and 250 peer-reviewed personal and career
& Industrial Strategy product sales papers per year. development for all
(BEIS), but its activities staff.
and funding decisions
are independent of
government.
Geological • Established 1925 • Generate and disseminate • Government • Knowledgeable • Headed by a
Survey of by British Overseas geoscientific data to budget pool of experts, CEO assisted by 4
Tanzania (GST) Development Authority stakeholders • Consultancy e.g. PhD holders in directors
as a government • Conducting environmental services structural geology • 109 staff including
department studies • Technical services and sedimentology 30 geoscientists and
• Re-established as an • Assessing geo-hazards (geochemical • Solid geoscientific 40 technicians
executive agency of analyses and databases
government under assays, petrology,
Executive Agency Act mineralogy,
No. 30 of 2007 geophysics, etc.)
• Sale of geoscience
products

36
 37

Geological • Established in 1948 as • Repository of Botswana’s

Survey of the Geological Survey geoscientific information
Botswana of Bechuanaland • Sustainable management of
• A department in the Botswana’s mineral and water
Ministry of Minerals, resources
Energy and Water • Functions executed by 5
Resources divisions and 5 sections
• Divisions: Regional Geology,
Economic Geology,
Geophysics, Hydrogeology,
National Information Centre
• Support Sections: Cartography,
Drilling, Mineral Dressing,
Technical Records & Library.
Namibia • A department in the • Research and disseminate • Primarily funded • State-of-the Staff compliment of
Geological Ministry of Mines and geoscientific information on from Namibian art equipment, 139
Survey (NGS) Energy Namibia treasury including
• Provide landuse advice to • Some funding geochemical
government contribution from analytical
• Promote investment in foreign technical equipment and
Namibian mining sector cooperation on rock mechanics
• Showcase earth science to specific projects. equipment.
Namibians
• Functions carried out by 6
divisions: Regional Geoscience,
• Economic Geology,
Geophysics, Geochemistry
& Laboratory, Geo-
information, and Engineering &
Environmental Geology.
Algerian • Changed name from • Acquisition and preservation • Treasury budget
Geological Algerian Geological of Algerian geoscientific allocations
Survey Agency Survey to National information • Technical
(AGSA) Office of Geology in • Conducting geological cooperation
1985. infrastructure programmes funding/ training
• Changed to National • Maintaining mineral inventories arrangements
Office of Geological databases of Algeria
Research and Mining in • Functions spread among
1992 (ORGM) three divisions: mapping,
• Under a mining law Infrastructure and Mineral
of 2001, ORGM split Resources.
into the National
Agency of Geology and
Mining Control and the
Geological Survey of
Algeria
• The current AGSA
was established by law
no. 14-05 of 2014as
a department of the
Ministry of Industry and
Mines
Council for • Established in 1993 as • Public and consulting services, • Treasury budgetary • Financially viable • 316 staff in various
Geoscience the legal successor of research and training in 4 major allocation (about • Structurally robust offices and project
(CGS) of South the Geological Survey areas: 76%) • Multiple revenue areas
Africa of South Africa which »» Geoscience mapping • Commercial streams
had been established in »» Minerals development services • Excellent facilities
1912. »» Environment and water (consultancies and • Excellent expertise
• One of the national »» Engineering geoscience and commissioned
science councils of geo-hazards research, royalties
South Africa. and fees) (about
23%)
• Publications (about
1%)

38
 39

Table 6. Responses from key contact personnel from other Geological Surveys.
Question GS01 GS02 GS03 GS04
Name Geological Survey Companhia de Resquisa Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) Geological Survey of the
of your of Western de Recursos Minerias Netherlands
Geological Australia -CPRM
Survey (GS)
What entity Government Public Company Government Agency Embedded in a research
is your GS Department organisation
Funding Government- • 70% State budget • 70% state budget for geological
model of funded • 30% Contracts mapping and data management
your GS • 20% state budget for advising
the Ministry of Economic Affairs
• 10% mixed (R&D, consultancy)
Mandate of • Provide • Derived from the • Create and maintain geoscientific information and • Derived from (1) Mining Act, (2)
your GS geological Federal Constitution expertise Environment Act, (3) BRO Act
mapping data of Brazil • Produce innovations for society and business. (new legislation on subsurface
for public use data and information).
• Provide advice
to government
Functions of • Geological • Geological and • Carrying out research • Advisory role
your GS mapping hydrogeological • Producing expert services in the sector • Data and information repository
• Data collection mapping of Brazil
• Document
mineral
resources
• Landuse
planning advice
to government
Powers of • Regulatory • Complain and defend on behalf of the State
your GS powers on • Supervise the interests and rights of the State in
reporting courts of law and agencies in all matters falling
requirements within the remit of the Geological Survey.
Divisions of • Geoscience • Geological Mapping, • Geoenergy • DINO (data management)
your GS mapping • Airborne Geophysics, • Engineering Geology and Land Use • Geo-modelling (3D geological
• Resources • Geochemistry, Mineral • Subsurface Construction and Waste Disposal mapping)
• Geoscience Researches, • Environmental Geology • Advisory Group for Economic
information • Marine Geology, • Marine Geology Affairs
• Natural Disaster • Ore Geology and Mineral Economics
surveys • Mineral Resources
• Geoprocessing Data, • Industrial Minerals
Data • Mineral Processing and Materials Research
• Base Systems (geology, • Peat Resources
mineral resources, • Groundwater
environmental studies, • Applied Geophysics
hydrogeology). • Industrial Environments and Recycling
• Regional Geodata and Interpretation
• Corporate Geodata Management
• Digital Products and Services

Three • Funding • Only 1/3 Brazil • Mineral Economics • Preparing law on subsurface
challenges • Finding suitably mapped at 1:250,000 • Clean Technologies and Landuse information
facing your qualified staff • Need to finish mapping • Digitalisation • Funding diversification
GS • Web data of Brazil • Growth
delivery • Capacity building for
3D modelling
Envisaged • Developing • Understanding • Supporting mining sector • Advisory role for groundwater
additional 3D modelling geodynamics of South • Growing needs of society in environmental management
functions capability American plate problems • Urban geology
• Understanding South • Producing 4D products
Atlantic Ocean and its (subsidence, groundwater flow,
mineral prospectivity etc.)
• 3D database
development
Area to • Web data • Complete 1:100K • Easily accessible geodatabases for public use • Systematic QC of 3D model
focus on delivery mapping of Brazil • Staff with high expertise in geosciences portfolio;
• Capacity building • Professionalization of IT
of staff for 3D data activities;
processing and • Maintaining a sufficient level of
modelling. R&D investments

40
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

10. Study tours

As part of this study, visits were undertaken to two selected institutions undertaking
Geological Survey work in Southern Africa, namely the Council for Geoscience of South
Africa and the Namibia Geological Survey. The visits are summarised in sections 10.1 and
10.2, respectively.

10.1 Study tour to the Council for Geoscience, South Africa

A Zimbabwean team consisting of the ZEPARU Director, ZEPARU Consultant, ZGS Director
and Director, Mining Promotions in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development spent
two days on a study tour of the Council for Geosciences in October 2016. The tour consisted
of presentations from the CGS, a tour of CGS facilities (library, laboratories, museum,
core yard, seismology section, and the minerals and energy section) and discussions and
deliberations. Of particular interest to the study team were the following issues:

• Transformation of the CGS from a government department to a scientific council

• Funding models and revenue streams for the CGS
• Mandate of the CGS
• Resources and facilities and of the CGS

The ensuing presentations, observations and discussions were insightful and can profoundly
contribute to the proposed reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey.

10.1.1 Geological Survey to CGS transformation

The Geological Survey of South Africa, a government department established in 1912, was
succeeded by the Council for Geoscience, one of the National Science Councils of South
Africa, via the Geoscience Act (Act 100 of 1993) which was amended as the Geoscience Act
(No. 16 of 2010). Such transformation has facilitated broadening of the CGS mandate to
incorporate non-traditional functions of Geological Surveys, and has permitted the CGS to
create multiple revenue streams including commercial contract work in and outside South
Africa. The CGS is run by a Board of Directors appointed by the Minister and comprising
public and private sector representatives, and the Chief Executive Officer of the CGS. The
organizational structure of the CGS, which is a typical corporate structure, is shown in
Figure 7.

10.1.2 Funding model for the CGS

The CGS is funded by the South African Government (80%), commercial contracts/
commissioned research (20%). The Department of Mineral Resources contributes
half the government funding and the other half comes from the Department of Science
41 and Technology. For salary commitments, the CGS receives a separate grant from the
government. Currently, the contracts/ research component is made up of work for
government departments, such as Economics and Energy departments, engineering geology
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
work for municipalities, mineral resources and mapping projects in countries such as Malawi,
Namibia, Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Cameroon.

10.1.3 Mandate of the CGS

The CGS principally derives its mandate from the Geoscience Act (Act No. 16 of 2010)
according to which the CGS has the mandate to (Council for Geoscience 2015):

• Undertake the systematic onshore and offshore geoscientific mapping of South Africa
• Carry out basic geoscience research into the nature and origin of rocks
• Collect and curate of all geoscience data and act as a National Geoscience Repository
• Render geoscience knowledge, services and advice to the State
• Manage national geoscience facilities on behalf of the country
• Render commercial geoscience services and products to national and international clients

Figure 7.Organisational structure of South Africa’s CGS.

CEO

OFFICE OF THE COO OFFICE OF THE CFO OFFICE OF THE CSS OFFICE OF THE CEO

APPLIED GEOSCIENCE FIN MGMT MUSEUM & LIB. SERV Company Secretary
SCM LABARATORY Internal Audit
PROJECTS RESEARCH
CM HR SHEQ
WATER A & FM ICT R&C
(Hydogeology) &
ENVIRONMENT
(Environemntal Strategic Planning
Geoscience)
Security
ENGINEERING
(Engineering Geology) & Communication
GEOHAZARDS
(Seismology)

mineral and energy development

projects research

mineral & energy

resources
ceo: Chief Executive Officer
Economic Geology COO: Chief Operating Officer
Geophysics CFO: Chief Financial Officer
Geochemistry CSS: Corporate Shared Services
SCM: Supply Chain Management
Remote Sensing
CM: Contract Management
GEOSCIENCE MAPPING A & FM: Administration and Financial Management
HR: Human Resources
Geological Mapping
ICT: Information and Communication Technology
Marine Geoscience

gis & scientific databases

42
go-to-market

project management office

 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

To effectively deliver on the above mandate, the CGS has divided its activities into four ‘business
thrusts’, namely: Geoscience Mapping, Engineering Geoscience & Geohazards, Environment
& Water and Mineral & Energy Resources. The first and last thrusts encompass what can be
considered traditional Geological Survey functions while the middle two encompass non-
traditional Geological Survey functions. Geological maps are useful in mineral exploration,
town planning and management, environmental work, hydrogeology, and environmental
geology. The function of the Engineering Geoscience and Geohazards thrust is to monitor,
assess and conduct research on natural hazards to assist policy makers and the public in
formulating hazard preparedness and response, and formulating recommendations on the
suitability of sites for human settlement and infrastructure development. The Environment
& Water thrust develops solutions for problems of soil, water and surface pollution, and
of the preservation of sensitive environments. The Mineral & Energy thrust assesses the
economic viability of mineral and petroleum deposits to provide pre-competitive geoscience
information to facilitate mineral and petroleum exploration and exploitation in South Africa.

10.1.4 Resources and facilities of the CGS

The CGS has 420 employees spread in five provinces: Kwazulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern
Cape, Limpopo and the Pretoria head office. Among the 420 employees are highly skilled
geoscience professionals and technicians with diverse expertise spanning all the geoscience
disciplines. Apart from this human resource endowment, the CGS has excellent facilities
and assets, including well equipped laboratories (geochemistry, geophysics, seismology,
petrology, mineralogy, materials & engineering, and data management), near-shore survey
vessels, geophysical aircraft, core yards, drill rigs, museums and well-resourced libraries.

The CGS values its human capital and is dedicated to training and development of its staff,
ensuring that the CGS is abreast with modern trends in expert areas. Apart from continuous
training and development, the CGS offers scholarships to successful school leavers to pursue
geosciences at universities, and to first degree holders to pursue further studies with no
obligation to work for the CGS afterwards. Another particularly interesting training platform
is the CGS Field School which strives to equip early career geoscientists with the field
mapping skills, microscopy, 4X4 driving to put them on sound footing at the launch of their
careers. In Zimbabwe, where not much geological mapping expertise remains at the ZGS,
such training is critically required. Other CGS training programmes include internships and
mentorship programmes.

10.2 Study tour of the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN)

In December 2016 a Zimbabwean delegation consisting of the ZEPARU Director and
ZEPARU consultant visited the Geological Survey of Namibia which is considered one of the
best in Africa and also considered in some circles as a good model for Geological Surveys
43 of the SADC region. Even with this status of being a model institution, the GSN was in the
process of implementing structural re-organisation (Figure 6) which had been approved by
the Namibian Government a few months earlier. Through the reorganization the GSN was
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
upgraded to a department from being one of five directorates in the Ministry of Mines and
Energy. The other four directorates were: Administration & Finance, Mines, Energy and
Diamond Affairs.

In the new structure (Figure 6) the Geological Survey Department has two directorates:
Mapping & Geoinformation, and Applied Geoscience, with a total establishment of 159 posts.

Objectives of the visit were to learn:

• About the functions and mandate of the GSN
• How the GSN has managed to be among the best geoscience institutions in Africa
• What structural or other changes, if any, the GSN considers necessary for the GSN to
perform even better
• About the funding model for the GSN
• How the GSN executes collaborative research and how effective these have been

The GSN arranged tours to their facilities (laboratories, library, museum, core yard, offices),
made presentations and explained their functions, opportunities, successes and challenges.

10.2.1 Functions of the GSN

The key broad functions of the GSN are:
• Research and disseminate geoscientific information on Namibia
• Provide landuse advice to government
• Promote investment in Namibian mining sector
• Showcase earth science to Namibians

To effectively undertake these functions, the Mapping and Applied Geoscience Directorates
of the GSN are each broken into Divisions which are in turn split into Subdivisions (Figure
6). Geophysics, Regional Geoscience and Geoinformation are the three Divisions of the
Mapping and Geoinformation Directorate. Within the Applied Geoscience Directorate
are subdivisions Engineering & Environment, Geochemistry & Laboratory, and Economic
Geology.

10.2.2 Funding model and legal status of the GSN

The GSN is a government department under the Ministry of Mines and Energy, drawing its
primary mandate from the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act (No. 33 of 1992). The
Act does not spell out the functions of the GSN and it does not even mention the name
Geological Survey of Namibia. At the time of the visit to the GSN, a process was under
way to introduce a comprehensive GSN Act to properly spell out the mandate, legal status,
functions and powers of the GSN. The GSN is primarily funded by the Namibian government
though Treasury, and secondarily from foreign technical cooperation projects via specific
project budgets. State-of-the-art facilities and publications at the GSN indicate that the 44
institution is well funded and resourced. However, it was indicated during the tour that
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

Treasury allocations for the GSN budget are not always adequate. At the time of the visit, a
significant cut of up to 60% was being implemented owing to depressed performance of the
national economy ostensibly partly due to low mineral prices. Thus, although the Namibian
government may be doing its best, this creeping inadequacy suggests that sole reliance on
treasury may be problematic for the sustainability and growth of a Geological Survey and that
new revenue streams may need to be explored. Several GSN staff were of the opinion that
a semi-autonomous status, which would enable the GSN to create new revenue streams,
would be preferable. At the time of the visit, the GSN was in consultation with the Office
of the Prime Minister for guidance on possible statuses for the GSN namely the status quo
(government department), becoming a parastatal or becoming an agency. By establishing a
new structure (Figure 6) the GSN had started institutional reconfiguration which expanded
the GSN functions and which required additional funding. The demonstrated need for
additional funding contributes to the justification for semi-autonomous status.

10.2.3 Resources and facilities of the GSN

The GSN has 139 employees and its main offices are in Windhoek. The GSN has plans for
decentralization; currently regional offices are at Tsumeb and Swakopmund. The Windhoek
offices are well-maintained and the laboratories are well equipped. Instrumentation includes
X-ray diffraction machines, bench top XRF machines, optical polarizing microscopes,
gemmological instruments and geophysics equipment. The core yard houses mineral
exploration rock and soil samples, as well as samples derived from water drilling operations.
The facility has filled up and plans are underway for its expansion. Field vehicles and
equipment are currently adequately available.

10.2.4 Technical cooperation and capacity-building programmes

The Regional Geoscience Division (Figure 6) of the GSN charged with regional geological
mapping is currently very active and being capacitated through cooperation with South
Africa’s CGS and South African universities. Experienced South African mappers train young
GSN field geologists in field mapping thereby transferring skills to the GSN. Individually
the young geoscientists benefit from the experience and knowledge of geological mapping
and from earning MSc. or PhD from South African universities through their mapping
projects. This in turn ensures that the geological mapping is of high standards. Through this
programme, the GSN aims to be self-sufficient again following erosion of more experienced
personnel from the institution over the years through retirement. The CGS benefits from
the contracts to undertake this kind of work which contributes to their contracts revenue
stream.

The GSN has also had several technical cooperation projects with geoscience institutions
such as the German Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), the British
45 Geological Survey (BGS), the French Geological Survey (BGRM) and the Swedish Geological
Survey. Specific projects under these arrangements have been a significant supplement
to the funding of the CSN. Currently, a GSN-BGR Raw Materials for Namibia’s Industrial
Development project is running and is aimed at:
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
• Capacity building
• Industrial minerals value chains and beneficiation
• Supporting small-scale industrial minerals mining
• Strategic environmental management

10.3 Summary of the CGS and GSN study tours

The visits to South Africa’s CGS and Namibia’s GSN, two of Africa’s top geoscience
institutions, provided invaluable insights into the opportunities and challenges of Geological
Surveys. Although both can be said to be very successful compared to their counterparts
elsewhere in Africa, they are currently run under different legal statuses. The CGS is 80%
funded by the government and raises the rest from contracts and commissioned research.
On the other hand, the GSN is 100% government-funded and although it raises significant
revenue from its operations (laboratory facilities, customized maps, publication sales,
engineering geology work, etc.), the GSN surrenders all revenues generated to Treasury. The
GSN is undertaking far-reaching reforms, having recently been upgraded from a Directorate
to a Department with two Directorates, signalling a significant expansion in functions and
Importantly, a new Act of Parliament is being enacted specifically for the GSN so that its
functions, mandate and powers are properly defined and redefined. In addition consultations
between the GSN and Namibia’s Office of the Prime Minister are on-going as to what status
the GSN should aspire to attain. Discussions with GSN personnel suggest that the GSN will
tread carefully to avoid pitfalls that may have been encountered in CGS’s transformation
from a government department. On the whole, however, the GSN realizes that it may not
be sustainable in the long run to rely entirely on government funding. It will be interesting to
many Geological Surveys to see how the GSN treads this path.

46
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

11. Proposed reconfiguration of the ZGS

11.1 ZGS vision and strategy
The mission of the ZGS is to generate, archive and disseminate geological data for
Zimbabwe’s economic and infrastructural development. Although currently constrained by
inadequate funding, the ZGS has the vision of being a world-class geological information
services centre by 2020. Achieving the world-class status is a noble goal, but may not be
realistically achieved by 2020. However, it is hoped that by 2020 real progress will have
been made towards laying the foundation for eventually achieving the world-class status at
some later date. The present research, seeks to contribute to formulation of strategies for
reconfiguring the ZGS and better position the ZGS to achieve its vision of being a world-class
geological information services centre.

11.2 Legal status, mandate and powers

Between 1910 and 1918, Southern Rhodesia Geological Survey operated as a semi-
autonomous agency, its director reporting directly to the colonial administrator. In 1918,
the Minister of Roads and Mines expressed discomfort with the semi-autonomous status of
the Geological Survey and moved to rein in the Geological Survey by enlisting it as one of the
departments under his ministry. Since then the Geological Survey has been a department of
the ministry responsible for mines, currently the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development.
The Zimbabwe Geological Survey (ZGS) principally derives its mandate from the Mines and
Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05) but that mandate is poorly defined compared to that of other
Geological Surveys, such as South Africa’s Council for Geoscience (see Section 10.1) or the
Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) which now operates as an Executive State Agency. The
only functions and powers explicitly conferred upon the ZGS within the Mines and Minerals
Act (Chapter 21:05) relate to the right of ZGS officials to unobstructed entry upon any
land for the purposes of prospecting, surveying or pegging. The current Act does not even
explicitly specify what entity ZGS is, namely a department within the ministry responsible
for mines. Such specification is necessary because some Geological Surveys, such as the
Geological Survey of Tanzania or the Geological Survey of Algeria have transformed into
state agencies. An example of a state agency in Zimbabwe is the Environmental Management
Agency (EMA) which is clearly defined within the Environmental Management Act (Chapter
20:27) as a corporate body capable of suing and being sued in its own right, and for which
constitution, functions and powers are detailed within the Act. In similar vein, the Minerals
Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) is ‘… a body corporate and shall, in the
name of the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe, be capable of suing and being
sued and, subject to the provisions of this (MMCZ) Act, of performing all such acts as bodies
corporate may by law perform’ (Minerals and Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe Act
(Chapter 21:04).
47
Autonomous or semi-autonomous state agencies have or should have the advantage
of reduced bureaucratic procedures compared to government departments. Thus, the
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) is one of the ‘… semi-autonomous Executive Agencies
within the ambit of Government Ministries for the purpose of providing public services in
selected areas in a more efficient and effective manner…’ (Executive Agencies Act 1997).
According to the Executive Agencies Act, a Permanent Secretary shall be responsible for the
strategic management of an Executive Agency under his or her ministry and shall uphold the
Agency’s autonomy in the day-to-day management of its affairs.

Other advantages of assuming the status of an Agency, as gathered during the study tour
to South Africa’s CGS, itself defined at law as a ‘juristic person’, are the flexibility to earn
additional funding through contracts and commissioned research, the leeway to work for
any government department or ministry and the latitude to work anywhere on Earth.

The ZGS is likely to be in a better position to create additional sustainable revenue streams
that may significantly complement government funding if it transforms into a State Agency.
Similar transformation is or has happened in several Geological Surveys, including those of
South Africa, Tanzania, Algeria, Britain, New Zealand, and the Netherlands among others.
Management at the ZGS has strongly expressed the desire for similar transformation.
However, questionnaire respondents outside the ZGS appeared to be more concerned
about resourcing and functioning of the ZGS. In the current state of where the operations
of ZGS are paralysed due to lack of resources, the issue of the legal status of the ZGS
may not appear to be of immediate concern to those outside the ZGS. However, their
quest for more and better services may in part be addressed if the ZGS morphs into a
more efficient, legally empowered and well-resourced State Agency with clearly defined
functions. By positioning itself as such, the ZGS can become an indispensable institution that
is critical for the development of the mining sector and the development of Zimbabwe in
general. Such an Agency can work with the government and its development partners, the
private sector, local authorities, training institutions and others in resource mobilisation for
sustainable national development.

11.3 Functions: expand or rebuild traditional functions?

Many Geological Surveys worldwide, including South Africa’s Council for Geoscience, the
British Geological Survey, and Geological Survey of Finland have since moved beyond the
traditional functions of geological mapping and mineral resources inventories to incorporate
areas such as engineering geology, hydrogeology, environmental management, geo-hazards
mapping and climate change. Respondents in this study indicated that while expansion
of functions of the ZGS is desirable for its long term sustainability, the ZGS must initially
concentrate on re-establishing its former basic functions, particularly regional geological
mapping which will act as an anchor for any expansion programmes. Regional geological
mapping is such a core function of a Geological Survey that it is interlinked with all other
functions such as cartography, petrology and mineralogy, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral 48
exploration and mineral resources inventories. Some areas in Zimbabwe were last mapped
more than 50 years ago and some of the maps need updating to encompass evolving
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

thinking. The 1:1 million geological map of Zimbabwe, a very important mining investment
decision tool, had its last major update in 1977 and new geological knowledge acquired
since then is compiled but is yet to be captured on that map. The next move would be to
produce a larger-scale map for the country such as the 1: 250,000 map, in keeping with
trends in other jurisdictions. Other countries are aiming for even greater mapping detail.
For example, the Geological Survey of Namibia, in collaboration with South Africa’s CGS,
has initiated a 1:50,000 geological mapping programme. Thus, if the ZGS transforms into a
State Agency, it should aim to retain and revamp former basic functions and modernise by a
phased incorporation of the non-traditional functions of a Geological Survey.

In preparation for a future with expanded activities and in order to remain relevant in a
decentralizing Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the ZGS is establishing a new
section known as Applied Geology (Figure 2). According to the current thinking at the ZGS,
Applied Geology is meant to encompass all non-traditional functions of Geological Surveys
and coordinate workflows between the ZGS head office and mining geologists posted at
provincial centres. The non-traditional functions include hydrogeology, engineering geology,
environmental geology and medical geology and geo-tourism. Tasks involving some of the
non-traditional functions can be potentially offered as services to clients at reasonable non-
commercial costs thereby contributing to the ZGS revenue streams, cross-subsidising public
good functions such as mineral determinations and grassroots geological evaluations. At the
time of writing, a concept paper on geo-tourism was being compiled at the ZGS and it is
hoped that the concept will take off the ground.

11.4 Funding model: what non-treasury supplementary sources could be

explored?
The ZGS is currently funded by the government through treasury budgetary allocations.
A capacitated and resourced Geological Survey can significantly supplement government
funding through private and public sector consultancies, contracts, technical services,
commissioned research and product sales. An emerging trend is that Geological Surveys can
be funded 70% by government and as much as 30% through consultancies, commissioned
research and provision of technical services and product sales. This70:30 ratio has been
achieved by Geological Surveys of Britain, the Netherlands and Finland; South Africa’s CGS
is at 80:20.The Geological Survey of Tanzania, a state agency, is largely government-funded
but this is significantly supplemented from consultancies and sale of products and technical
services.

A Geological Survey can only sustainably fund its activities from consultancies and
commissioned research when it has attained a good reputation, which in turn can only be
earned by a well-resourced, well-run and capacitated entity. The ZGS needs to re-tool and
49 re-establish its former basic functions and demonstrate capacity to undertake work for
private and public sectors to be able to attract funding from contracts and commissioned
research. However, as stated above gradual and prioritized expansion of functions can
potentially contribute significantly to revenue generation.
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

11.5 Human and material resources

Historically, the ZGS (and its predecessors) has struggled to attract and retain experienced
and appropriately trained personnel. Interviewed former Survey geologists indicated that
relatively low remuneration was a major reason for leaving the Survey to join private practice.
In the 1966 when the salary scales for geologists were significantly raised, there was a spike
in staff recruitment which contributed to the peak in regional mapping between 1966 and
1977. As long as the ZGS is a government department, the salary scales will generally mirror
those across government departments and salary increases across the board will depend
on performance of the national economy. At present the ZGS is unable to attract the most
experienced and most talented personnel and has to resort to designing internal training
programmes for personnel. A state Agency with better conditions of service is more likely to
attract and retain appropriately trained and experienced personnel in a carrier path.

Already a number of ZGS employees with diplomas from the Zimbabwe School of Mines
are enrolling with universities to upgrade their qualifications to degree level. Another
exciting step taken by the government is the on-going setting-up of the Pan African Minerals
University (PAMUST) that will enrol postgraduate students within the minerals sector.

While this academic advancement of ZGS personnel is useful, a suggestion by experienced

former ZGS geologists to train younger ZGS geologists in field mapping is probably even
more pertinent for the resuscitation of the primary regional mapping role of the ZGS. The
ZGS should utilize this window of opportunity to work out modalities to re-engage these
experienced and knowledgeable geologists to bequeath to the younger generation skills
required to re-interpret the local and regional geology of Zimbabwe which is necessary for
the discovery of new styles of hidden mineralization. In the past, retired geologists have
been successfully engaged by the Survey on special contracts on the basis of their skills and
experience. Examples include former director Phaup who re-joined the ZGS as Editor and
mentor between 1967 and 1978, and former Director J.G. Stagman who continued as Editor
upon retirement in 1978. At the time of writing this report, former ZGS field geologists Peter
Fey, Tim Broderick and Bornwell Mupaya were editing ZGS bulletins which had not been
published decades after completion of the mapping. A training programme in field mapping
could be developed along the same lines as the Field School of the Council for Geoscience’
(CGS’s). The CGS Field School started in 2005 as a two-year programme for interns in
preparation of their careers with the CGS. The new compressed one-month version of the
training includes field mapping, a road trip across South African stratigraphy, and lecture
series on GIS and advanced geological mapping. During the study tour, the CGS indicated
that it was assisting may African Geological Surveys, including those of Namibia, Malawi,
Botswana, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Mozambique with capacity-building in geological
mapping, and would consider assisting Zimbabwe if requested to do so. Similarly, staff at
the Geological Survey of Namibia expressed readiness to work with the ZGS if approached. 50
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

12. Recommendations
The following recommendations are proffered in considering the future of the ZGS:

1. Define the legal status, mandate and functions of the ZGS clearly: As indicated above,
the Mines and Minerals Act (Chapter 21:05 of 1996) from which the ZGS supposedly
draws its mandate is vague about what entity the ZGS is and what functions the ZGS
should perform (see Table 1). The legal status, mandate and functions of the ZGS must
be clearly spelt out as they are for South Africa’s CGS, Zimbabwe’s Environmental Man-
agement Agency or the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe. Currently the
ZGS is a government department but started off in 1910 as what can be called today
a State Agency. Are there merits of transforming the ZGS into a State Agency in the
same way South Africa’s Council for Geoscience or Tanzania’s Geological Survey have
transformed? Although such transformation did not appear to be an immediate concern
to most stakeholders judging from their questionnaire responses, this question needs
to be seriously considered because it has implications for the development and financial
sustainability of the ZGS.

• The on-going amendment of the Mines and Minerals Act provides a window of oppor-
tunity to reconsider the legal status of the ZGS, which will form the basis for its trans-
formation. If a decision is made to pursue the transformation of the ZGS into a State
Agency, then a completely new piece of legislation may be required which primarily de-
fines the mandate of the ZGS, with the Mines and Minerals Act only secondarily defining
such mandate. In that case there may be no need to crowd the Mines and Minerals Act
with statutes of the proposed Agency. In Namibia, where the mandate, functions and
powers of the GSN are similarly not comprehensively defined, a new Act for the GSN
(or its successor) was being crafted at the time of the study tour.

2. Re-establish traditional functions: Traditional Geological Survey functions include

the collection (principally geological mapping), storage and distribution of geological
information. Currently, the ZGS cannot perform most of its functions, although its
stated goal is to become a world-class organization by 2020. Therefore, before the
ZGS can become world-class, there is need to ensure that it is capable of carrying out
the basic functions of a Geological Survey, after which the ZGS can venture into new
geoscience areas. To re-establish former functions requires substantial human, material
and financial resources. Recently, the African Development Bank (ADB) assisted the
ZGS with procurement of critical equipment requirements to restart operations. In
terms of staffing, current ZGS geologists do not have adequate field mapping experience
but, fortuitously, there are some experienced mappers who have worked with the ZGS
before who expressed willingness to provide training to the ZGS staff. The ZGS is
implored to explore this possibility, which may immediately result in a hive of mapping
51
activity in Zimbabwe. The training can borrow aspects from the Field School run by
South Africa’s CGS after which the trainees are allocated mapping project areas under
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey
the supervision of the trainers. During study tours, the CGS and the Geological Survey
of Namibia expressed willingness to assist the ZGS with fieldwork capacity building, an
avenue which the ZGS should explore.

3. World-class Geological Surveys today would be well-resourced and would have

expanded their functions into non-traditional areas such as engineering geology,
environmental geology, medical geology, geo-hazards mapping and climate change
studies, among others. Some of these Geological Surveys are such big research and
consultancy engines with sought-after expertise and services that a significant part of
their funding comes from commissioned research and consultancy. Examples cited
earlier include the British Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of Finland, the
Geological Survey of the Netherlands and South Africa’s CGS. As much as 30% of the
annual budget of these organisations comes from consultancy and research. The ZGS
presently does not have the same research and consultancy capacity, but can make a
start by re-establishing its former reputation in geological mapping and mine evaluations.
Growing from these pillars of strength, the ZGS would then eventually establish the
non-traditional Geological Survey functions. At that point it may be possible to attract
funding from contracts and research. South Africa’s CGS is currently capacitating other
countries such as Malawi, Tanzania, Namibia, Angola, Gabon and Ghana in geoscience
mapping. In addition, the CGS is assisting Geological Surveys of Botswana, Mozambique
and Mauritania with capacity building and institutional reform. Zimbabwe can partner
the CGS in both institutional reform (reconfiguration) and capacity building in geoscience
mapping.

4. Although Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is currently

decentralizing, the ZGS has remained centralized in Harare. However, some of the
more experienced ZGS staff have been transferred to the new provincial offices leaving
less experienced staff at base. Thus, although the ZGS has been involuntarily drawn into
the decentralisation of the parent Ministry, the ZGS should strategically respond to the
decentralisation to remain relevant. As suggested above these less experienced staff
left at the ZGS headquarters should undergo tailored training programmes. The ZGS
must maintain an effective communication line with provincial offices of the Ministry
to collate effectively all information generated at the provincial level. The proposed
establishment of the Applied Geology Section to coordinate workflows between the
ZGS and provincial geology offices and to spearhead the non-traditional Geological
Survey functions appears to be an important strategy for the survival and effectiveness
of the ZGS in the changing times.

5. Reconsider the proposed new organisational structure of the ZGS: There is need to
reconsider some aspects of the proposed new organisational structure of the ZGS
shown in Figure 2: 52
• Provincial Mining Geology: Clarification is required on whether the provincial geology
unit belongs to the ZGS or to the parent Ministry and how the ZGS headquarters and
 Zimbabwe Economic Policy and Research Unit - ZEPARU

the provincial offices can work as seamlessly as possible, one possible bridge being
the proposed Applied Geology Section. Whatever the case maybe, it appears the
total staff complement at provincial level is too large.
• Applied Geology: Specialist areas, such as Engineering Geology, Geo-tourism,
Geochemistry, Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, etc. can helpfully be
itemised on the proposed structure of the ZGS. Hydrogeology is presently under
the Groundwater Branch of the Zimbabwe National Water Authority. Similarly,
Seismology which normally falls under Geophysics and is an important unit at both
the CGS and NGS, is overseen in Zimbabwe by the Goertz Observatory in Bulawayo.
• Geochemistry Laboratory: The ZGS should consider whether or not to re-establish
this unit which was disbanded in the 1990s. One option is to outsource the services
from other government or government-related institutions such as the Department
of Metallurgy or from the Institute of Mining Research (IMR).
• Economic Geology: Provision for mineralogist should be considered within this
Section.
• Field Mapping Section: This is a priority area given that about 40% of the country has
never been mapped, and that there is need to remap some areas at larger scale or
to accommodate new geological knowledge. Thus, this Section appears understaffed
with only 5 geologists and 2 technicians. In comparison, the GSN Regional Geoscience
Division has 19 Geoscientists (similar to previous ZGS structure which had provision
of 18 field geologists), 2 administrators, 4 ‘workhands’, and a cartography subdivision
manned by 5 cartographers and 1 technical assistant. One Field Orderly in the
proposed new ZGS structure is inadequate; a mapping geologist requires a field
assistant and a camp guard, who are normally temporary seasonal staff.
• Cartography: A deputy Chief Cartographer may be required.
• Library: The library appears bloated on the new structure given that, in comparison,
it is much smaller than that of South Africa’s CGS or that of the Geological Survey
of Namibia (GSN). The GSN library has a staff establishment of 4 whereas the ZGS
proposes an establishment of 8 for its library. With electronic data management,
including digital dissemination, the ZGS library can do with less staff numbers.
• Museum: The museum is not included on the organogram in Figure 2, yet it has a
very important educational role. Within the GSN, the museum is a subdivision of the
Geo-Information Division, which also has the Library and Data Management sub-
divisions.
• Editor/ Mentor: There is need to provide for the position of in-house Editor/ mentor
in the new proposed structure of the ZGS.
• Drivers: The new ZGS structure should include positions for drivers.

53
 Reconfiguration of the Zimbabwe Geological Survey

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