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mining for artisanal small-scale miners, as the mineral of interest is either outcropping or is very close to surface, requiring less effort to access and, to a certain extent, entailing a reduced risk to mineworkers. In principle, the lower the stripping ratio (waste to ore ratio) the greater the profits. Bench mining offers a simple and safe method to exploit a deposit, but requires a systematic approach, with the removal of waste and ore in a sequence. Figure 1 demonstrates the open pit mining method applying a sequential approach to mining. The current practice in most Rwandan and Burundian mines is to mine waste and mineralized material simultaneously, transporting the material into a single gully and making use of gravity and water to assist with the mining of the deposit. However, this is often a risky practice as the overburden is often weak and can easily collapse (Figure 2), especially when wet (Rupprecht, 2012). Bench mining is not an unknown method in Central Africa, and was applied in the mid20th century, as seen in Figure 3. The purpose of this paper is to describe a viable bench mining method that employs both manual mining and mobile machinery, thereby offering employment to the local community while constituting a safe and a productive mining method. Before discussing the transformation of artisanal mining to small-scale mining, an understanding of the two terms is required, as they can mean different things to different people.

Bench mining utilizing manual labour and mechanized equipment - a proposed mining method for artisanal small-scale mining in Central Africa