Source hierarchy
We prefer authoritative and primary sources when establishing current operating, corporate or regulatory facts. Typical sources include the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe Geological Survey, official cadastre material, company technical reports and regulatory disclosures, recognised industry bodies, geological databases and academic research.
A source being public does not automatically make every statement within it current, complete or legally authoritative.
Current versus historical intelligence
Current operating or ownership statements should be supported by a recent reputable source and carry an appropriate review date. Historical datasets such as USGS MRDS are valuable for geological context, old workings and occurrences, but are not treated as evidence that a mine is currently operating or that a company currently owns an asset.
Confidence classes
Verified
Supported by a strong current or authoritative source for the specific fact being represented.
Documented
Supported by credible public documentation, but potentially historical, incomplete or not sufficient for transaction-grade reliance.
Indicative
Useful intelligence with greater uncertainty, broader geography or limited corroboration. It should guide further research rather than be treated as established fact.
Coordinates and precision
Every point should be read with its precision label. Site precision means the source supports a reasonably specific location. District or regional precision deliberately avoids implying survey-grade accuracy. Sensitive or unverified intelligence may be generalised to reduce risks involving trespass, illegal mining, land disputes or community harm.
Conflicting sources
Where credible sources disagree, the preferred approach is to retain the conflict, show the competing evidence where practical, and avoid silently turning one interpretation into certainty. A later source does not automatically supersede an earlier one if they describe different concepts or reporting dates.
Licensing and redistribution
ZimMineral links to source material and preserves source attribution. Public availability does not imply unrestricted redistribution. Downloads, GIS export and API access must respect the licence and redistribution rights of each underlying dataset.
What the Atlas is not
ZimMineral Atlas is not the official Mining Cadastre, proof of title, geological due diligence, legal advice, investment advice or field verification. Critical decisions should be checked against the relevant authoritative records and professional advisers.