President of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines, Ian Saunders, told Reuters that mines minister Amos Midzi had broken off a countrywide tour to promote the new law in order to hold direct consultations with the industry.
The government has refused to comment on a draft copy of the new law but Reuters reports it has seen a version in which the ownership transfer is detailed.
Section 28 of the draft says 49% of private mines must be owned by historically disadvantaged people within three years, and 25% of publicly owned mines must be black owned.
The law has the potential to affect a wide variety of local and foreign miners operating in Zimbabwe, including Impala Platinum, Anglo American, and Aquarius Platinum.
