Globe And Phoenix Gold Mine
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Globe and Phoenix Mine (G&P Mine) is a gold mine in
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
. It is just outside
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
CBD. G&P Mine was pegged on the site of ancient gold workings in 1894 by prospectors Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala. The two men were shown this ancient mining place by a
Shona Shona often refers to: * Shona people, a Southern African people * Shona language, a Bantu language spoken by Shona people today Shona may also refer to: * ''Shona'' (album), 1994 album by New Zealand singer Shona Laing * Shona (given name) * S ...
native whose confidence they bought with two blankets.Guide_National Mining Museu
The Paper House (including the National Mining Museum)
Zimbabwe Field Guide Retrieved 17 March 2016
Mukoma Ngwena Chakamwe. 13 March 201
Intriguing gold revelations from Kwekwe
The Patriot. Retrieved 17 March 2016
The head works of the mine still dominate
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
City which was founded from the mine's compound township which was known as
Sebakwe Globe and Phoenix Mine (G&P Mine) is a gold mine in Zimbabwe. It is just outside Kwekwe CBD. G&P Mine was pegged on the site of ancient gold workings in 1894 by prospectors Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala. The two men were shown th ...
before merging with the then Fort Kwekwe and assuming the name
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
, then spelt
Que Que Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
. G&P Mine, although it once produced the world's richest gold ore, has its palmy days over now. Other mineral found at the mine are
Kermesite Kermesite or antimony oxysulfide is also known as red antimony (Sb2S2O) . The mineral's color ranges from cherry red to a dark red to a black. Kermesite is the result of partial oxidation between stibnite (Sb2S3) and other antimony oxides such a ...
,
Magnetite Magnetite is a mineral and one of the main iron ores, with the chemical formula Fe2+Fe3+2O4. It is one of the oxides of iron, and is ferrimagnetic; it is attracted to a magnet and can be magnetized to become a permanent magnet itself. With ...
,
Quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical f ...
and
Stibnite Stibnite, sometimes called antimonite, is a sulfide mineral with the formula Sb2 S3. This soft grey material crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group. It is the most important source for the metalloid antimony. The name is derived from the ...
. It is located a few hundred metres from the CBD westwards.


Background

G&P Mine was originally known as King Solomon's Mines, and the biblical ''
Ophir Ophir (; ) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon received a shipment from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. ...
'' where the Queen of Sheba took 450 tablets of gold which she took to Jerusalem's King Solomon, hence the nicknames "Jewellers' Shop", "Lousy with Gold" and "Too rich to be mined". The first European men to see the Globe and Phoenix Reefs were Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala. Edward Thornton Pearson pegged the Phoenix reefs which was about 122 metres and followed the quartz down for 38 metres. Joseph Schukala pegged the Globe reefs which was over 200 metres long, with a maximum depth of 20 metres. Each man registered his own claim in
Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...
in May 1894, but none of them had capital to exploit his claim. Legend says that Joseph Schukala once tried to sell his claim for a case of whisky. Lionel Phillips of Phillips Exploration Syndicate bought both the Globe and Phoenix reefs in September 1894, hence the name Globe and Phoenix Mine. Lionel Phillips paid £300 cash and 500 on £1 shares for the Globe Reef and £600 for the Phoenix Reef paid in gold sovereigns at Shepherds Beer Hall in
Gwelo Gweru is a city in central Zimbabwe. Near the geographical centre of the country. It is on the centre of Midlands Province. Originally an area known to the Ndebele as "The Steep Place" because of the Gweru River's high banks, in 1894 it became ...
where many business transactions were done in those days. The Globe and Phoenix Mining Company was incorporated on 18 October 1896 with a capital of £175,000 in £1 shares.


The name Globe and Phoenix

The best description of what Globe and Phoenix means can be gotten from the
Flag and seal of Virginia The Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the official seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state. The state flag of Virginia consists of the obverse of the seal against a blue background. A state flag was first adopted at the begin ...
, as described in the Code of Virginia (1950) On the flip side of the seal are the three goddesses Libertas at the centre, Ceres, on her left and Aeternitas on the right. The
motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...
here in a curved line, has the word "Perseverando." which means "Persevering, a reminder of the need to persist in maintaining the blessings of liberty". On the Globe and Phoenix Mine emblem, 2 phoenixes are featured, and of course Globe and Phoenix Mine lived and continues to live, now as
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
city. However the name Globe and Phoenix Mine was a merger of the two reefs bought by Lionel Phillips, Globe reef from Joseph Schukala and Phoenix reef from Edward Thornton Pearson. It is thought as friends Schukala and Pearson had deliberately named their claims with reference to the goddess Aeternitas’ Globe and Phoenix as described in the Code of Virginia (1950).


Historical Challenges

* Drinking Water for G&P Mine and
Gaika Mine The Gaika Mine, now known as the Gaika Gold Fields, is situated in what was Chicago Farm just about south of Kwekwe CBC. The Gaika Mine was the earliest mine developed in 1894, then Globe and Phoenix in 1895-1900, the Eldorado in 1905, the Ant ...
was ferried from
Sebakwe River Sebakwe River or Zibagwe River is a river in Zimbabwe. Sebakwe River is located in the Midlands (Zimbabwe), Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. It has a length straight line from source to mouth, and is a tributary of Munyati River which it joins ...
by ox wagon until G&P Mine was granted the right to pipeline water from the river away in 1898 after a legal wrangle with the authorities. Que Que village was dependent on the mine for its water supply.Diana Polisensky, 17 December 201
The Cinderella Town
Once Called Home. Retrieved 16 March 2016
because the better part of the villagers were mine workers here. * 1918 Flu Pandemic October 1918 was a month G&P Mine did not want to remember due to the national pandemic “Flu”. Mirleen Atkinson, wife of former G&P Mine manager wrote that the 1918 flu pandemic which ran from January 1918 – December 1920 affected G&P Mine workers severely. Once upon those days out of four hundred underground workers, only nineteen reported for work. Most of the hospital staff were also ill and Dr. Davey himself administered help and advice from his sick bed. Some patients were hospitalized in the Club Hall. Ten G&P Mine European staff and about three hundred African workers died. There were 8 deaths recorded for the month of October only with the 9th dying on 2 November 1918. Only one was a woman. Source: (Geni Records) * Holdstock, James William. 13 Oct 1918 (age 44) * Reynolds, Oliver. 17 Oct 1918 (age 35) * Thaunderfelt, Gustav. 21 Oct 1918 (age 32) * Graydon, Joseph. 21 Oct 1918 (age 44) * Kay, Arther Douglas. 22 Oct 1918 (age 26) * Omar, Hassan. 24 Oct 1918 (age 30) * Lopis, Philip. 25 Oct 1918 (age 27) * Green, Lillian Florence. 26 Oct 1918 (age 23) * Dundas, William Duncan Alexander. 2 Nov 1918 (age 28)


Operations


Productivity

The original G&P Mine in its lifetime produced over 4.2 million ounces of gold in its lifetime at an average grade of 27.6 grams per tonne. No wonder the Zimbabwe National Mining Museum is situated here. The National Mining Museum evolved from Kwekwe Mining Museum which was established in 1930.


Senior Staff Cabins

First houses at G&P Mine compound were log, mud and tin shacks. However the first Globe and Phoenix Gold Mine manager, Mr. H.A Piper's two roomed cabin built in 1894 using wood and reinforced cardboard survives and can be seen in the museum here. The house was built in England and shipped to Zimbabwe via
Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, So ...
in South Africa. The manager used it as his house until 1902 when the mine built him a proper house they named "Phoenix House". He then used the structure as his office. The structure was proclaimed an historic building and National Monument in 1975.


Sebakwe Globe and Phoenix Mine (G&P Mine) is a gold mine in Zimbabwe. It is just outside Kwekwe CBD. G&P Mine was pegged on the site of ancient gold workings in 1894 by prospectors Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala. The two men were shown th ...

The place where
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
stands today was originally called Sebakwe Village so named after the
Sebakwe River Sebakwe River or Zibagwe River is a river in Zimbabwe. Sebakwe River is located in the Midlands (Zimbabwe), Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. It has a length straight line from source to mouth, and is a tributary of Munyati River which it joins ...
about northeast. It was a workers' compound township for Globe and Phoenix Mine established in 1894 with the forty stamp mill producing the first gold in August 1900. Sebakwe Village started serious developments as early as 1895. In 1895, the Sebakwe Post Office was established. After the post office separate African and European hospitals were established. On 5 November 1901 the railway line was connected with
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
..Globe and Phoenix Railway Station.The Beira and Mashonaland Railway Company completed the rail link south between
Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...
and the Globe and Phoenix Station, later called QueQue Station in 1901. In 1902 the railway was connect to
Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...
. Before the railway line came it took three days to reach
Gweru Gweru is a city in central Zimbabwe. Near the geographical centre of the country. It is on the centre of Midlands Province. Originally an area known to the Ndebele as "The Steep Place" because of the Gweru River's high banks, in 1894 it beca ...
by donkey drawn carts. Now the train took four hours as long as the engine driver was not tempted by a herd of antelope to stop and shoot an animal for food, or visit a friend residing somewhere reachable in minutes.


Fort Kwekwe

Kwekwe, a small fort based on the river of the same name, established soon after the
Pioneer Column The Pioneer Column was a force raised by Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company in 1890 and used in his efforts to annex the territory of Mashonaland, later part of Zimbabwe (once Southern Rhodesia). Background Rhodes was anxio ...
entered Fort Salisbury to occupy Mashonaland, had been a
British South African Police The British South Africa Police (BSAP) was, for most of its existence, the police force of Rhodesia (renamed Zimbabwe in 1980). It was formed as a paramilitary force of mounted infantrymen in 1889 by Cecil Rhodes' British South Africa Company, from ...
post consisting of one officer, one senior non-commissioned officer, six European troopers and 15 African policemen. It was situated at the banks of
Kwekwe River Kwe Kwe River (known as Que Que River until 1983) is a small river that runs by the town of Kwekwe in Zimbabwe. It is a lesser tributary of the Sebakwe River and it joins the Sebakwe River north of the town.Map of Kwekwaccessed 02/11/2008) Th ...
, named after the ''que-que'' sound of croaking frogs in the river. It was not in any way connected to G&P Mine let alone being a police post.


Kwekwe Village

With the development of the Globe and Phoenix Mine, the few inhabitants of the Fort Kwekwe gradually drifted over to
Sebakwe Globe and Phoenix Mine (G&P Mine) is a gold mine in Zimbabwe. It is just outside Kwekwe CBD. G&P Mine was pegged on the site of ancient gold workings in 1894 by prospectors Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala. The two men were shown th ...
until there was no point in keeping the police post at Fort Kwekwe running. The relocation of Kwekwe (without the tag "Fort") to Sebakwe Village came by when the promise of the G&P Mine proved the greater attraction away. It was in 1898 the final relocation took place and the place but the name remained Sebakwe Village with Kwekwe being used by the BSAP for their police post. Because the government department had moved in, it was officially established as a settlement apart from the mine. On 20 August 1902,
Sebakwe Globe and Phoenix Mine (G&P Mine) is a gold mine in Zimbabwe. It is just outside Kwekwe CBD. G&P Mine was pegged on the site of ancient gold workings in 1894 by prospectors Edward Thornton Pearson and Joseph Schukala. The two men were shown th ...
was renamed
Que Que Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
and a village management board took over with the general manager of the Globe and Phoenix mine as first chairman. By 1919
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
was still known as Kwekwe Village and its grave yard was known as Kwekwe Village Cemetery. Had it not been that Fort Kwekwe was a government establishment the place called
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
today would have remained Sebakwe because
Sebakwe River Sebakwe River or Zibagwe River is a river in Zimbabwe. Sebakwe River is located in the Midlands (Zimbabwe), Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. It has a length straight line from source to mouth, and is a tributary of Munyati River which it joins ...
is only about 8.5 km away while
Kwekwe River Kwe Kwe River (known as Que Que River until 1983) is a small river that runs by the town of Kwekwe in Zimbabwe. It is a lesser tributary of the Sebakwe River and it joins the Sebakwe River north of the town.Map of Kwekwaccessed 02/11/2008) Th ...
is about 14.5 km away. The name of the nearest and larger river would have prevailed. Kwekwe Village sanitary board was established in 1904 but by 1910 there were only thirteen residential stands and of the fifty four business stands marked, only twenty had been allocated to willing developers.


Current Ownership

Globe and Phoenix Mine is now under new ownership, the Olympic Gold Mines NL (OGM) a holding company owning KweKwe Consolidated Gold Mines Pvt Ltd (Zimbabwe) (KCGM) which collectively trades as Globe and Phoenix Gold Mining Company Limited (GPGMCL). The holding company was bought from Delta Gold NL in 2002 by BioMetallurgical (GPGMCL) which is focused on the major new development of the Globe and Phoenix Mine. Over the past 12 years, the company acquired the majority mineral rights on the geological strike North of the Globe and Phoenix Mine. It intends to develop a decline from the ANZAC mine about 8 km north-north-west of
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
. The plan is that the decline will pass along the geological strike and underneath over 100 old shafts and thousands of small workings from which several hundred thousand ounces were also mined from 1900 to the 1960s. The area has great potential on the fact that
Gaika Mine The Gaika Mine, now known as the Gaika Gold Fields, is situated in what was Chicago Farm just about south of Kwekwe CBC. The Gaika Mine was the earliest mine developed in 1894, then Globe and Phoenix in 1895-1900, the Eldorado in 1905, the Ant ...
lies immediately South and Indarama Mine which lies immediately North of the Globe and Phoenix Gold Mining Company Limited decline Project, are the second and third largest gold producers in
Kwekwe District Kwekwe District is a district in Zimbabwe. Location It is found in the Midlands Province, in the central Zimbabwe. Kwekwe, with an estimated population of about 99,200 in 2004, is the capital city of the district. The district capital is locate ...
respectively. Apart from Globe and Phoenix Mine, Globe and Phoenix Gold Mining Company Limited also owns John Bull Mine, Primrose Mine, Skeleton Mine, RO Mine, Vuntade Mine, Piper Moss Mine, Monte Christo Mine and ANZAC Mine, all in the same region. The majority of these mines have been virtually not been fully exploited since the 1960s and now have considerable potential under one network. GPGMCL priority is to reopen Globe and Phoenix Mine and generate thousands of jobs for local people including those currently illegally gold panning on Globe and GPGMCL claims and old mines.


Current Challenges


Illegal Gold Panners

Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
is infested with illegal gold panners and unlike other cities, in Kwekwe they operate from just as near the CBD as a hundred metres. People in Kwekwe live in fear amid recent mishaps thought to have been caused by illegal gold panners' work. * An entire garden and a three-metre guava tree were swallowed by a suspected mine tunnel some 30 metres beneath the suburb. * Illegal panners dug and emerged from under a classroom at Globe and Phoenix Primary School in the dead of the night. The block has since been closed. The school is about 500 metres from the CBD. * In February, 2014, a few kilometres away from the G and P compound, a miner on his way to work was swallowed when the ground gave in under him. Unfortunately, the miner died. * Elsewhere in
Shurugwi Shurugwi, formerly Selukwe, is a small town and administrative centre in Midlands Province, southern Zimbabwe, located about 350 km (220 miles) south of Harare, with a population of 22,900 according to the 2022 census. The town was establ ...
, an entire two-roomed house disappeared into the ground after a mine tunnel collapsed. The mishaps keep residents of mining towns questioning their safety in these environments.


Mine Tunnels

There are several tunnels beneath the city of
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
forming a network with those from
Gaika Mine The Gaika Mine, now known as the Gaika Gold Fields, is situated in what was Chicago Farm just about south of Kwekwe CBC. The Gaika Mine was the earliest mine developed in 1894, then Globe and Phoenix in 1895-1900, the Eldorado in 1905, the Ant ...
. However city engineers have assured residents that city buildings are safe. They say illegal gold panners can only go as deep as levels 1 and 2. Levels 3 to 46 are covered by underground water and illegal gold panners have no capacity to access such levels. The tunnels are also too narrow to cause significant disturbances outside those depths. The longest tunnel that passes beneath the CBD is 43 km long and 873 metres deep. This depth is level 26 and 27 which way below sea level posing no threat to city buildings.


See also

*
Kwekwe Kwekwe ( ), known until 1983 as Que Que, is a city in the Midlands province of central Zimbabwe. The city has a population of 119,863 within the city limits, as of the 2022 census, making it the 7th-largest city in Zimbabwe and the second-most p ...
*
Kwekwe District Kwekwe District is a district in Zimbabwe. Location It is found in the Midlands Province, in the central Zimbabwe. Kwekwe, with an estimated population of about 99,200 in 2004, is the capital city of the district. The district capital is locate ...
*
Gaika Mine The Gaika Mine, now known as the Gaika Gold Fields, is situated in what was Chicago Farm just about south of Kwekwe CBC. The Gaika Mine was the earliest mine developed in 1894, then Globe and Phoenix in 1895-1900, the Eldorado in 1905, the Ant ...
* Indarama Mine


References

{{Kwekwe District Gold mines in Zimbabwe Mines in Zimbabwe Populated places in Zimbabwe