By 
The Mineral Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) is taking bold steps to combat mineral smuggling and improve transparency in the mining sector through the use of drone technology and a new whistleblower platform. The initiative marks a significant shift in how mineral surveillance is conducted across the country’s vast and often remote mining regions.
MMCZ General Manager Dr Nomsa Moyo announced the acquisition of drones that will soon be deployed to monitor mining sites, track mineral movements, and conduct volumetric analysis of production stockpiles. Once licensing is finalised, the drones will enable real-time surveillance, particularly in hard-to-reach areas where oversight has traditionally been limited.
“Drones can detect inconsistencies between reported stockpiles and actual excavation levels,” Dr Moyo explained, highlighting their potential to uncover undeclared mineral extraction and illicit trade. The move is seen as a strategic response to long-standing challenges of underreporting and smuggling that continue to drain the country’s mineral revenues.
According to a reports Zimbabwe loses millions annually to mineral leakages—a situation MMCZ says must be urgently addressed if the nation is to fully benefit from its natural resources. Mining currently contributes around 12 percent to Zimbabwe’s GDP and nearly 80 percent of export earnings, making it one of the most critical pillars of economic growth.
In tandem with the drone deployment, MMCZ is finalising a whistleblower platform designed to give ordinary citizens a direct channel to report corruption and illegal activities linked to mineral exports. The corporation has stressed the importance of civic participation in safeguarding national wealth.
“The country’s mineral wealth must be marketed at fair value and taxed appropriately to benefit the national economy,” MMCZ said in a statement, reinforcing its commitment to improved accountability and governance in the sector.
Authorities believe the fusion of advanced surveillance technology and public reporting will significantly strengthen oversight in the mining industry, which is central to Zimbabwe’s ambition of becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Comments