adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THE government has secured mining equipment worth $50,000 for a mining service centre for women in Gwanda as it steps up efforts to empower ordinary people and increase production. The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development — working with its partner — the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided mining machinery boost to Mthandazo Mining Service Centre located at Colleen Bawn, Gwanda District.
The centre is expected to be a multi-functional service provider to support women in mining in the entire Matabeleland South province.
The sourcing of the machinery is government’s support for women who have faced equipment challenges to conduct their mining operations.
Speaking during a meeting at the service centre site on Monday, Women Affairs departmental director, Thecla Madziwa, said the government has sourced a transformer and compressors and would build a stamp mill for the service centre.
“This is a government initiative and our desire is to see these women capacitated. We don’t have money but they’ve to be capacitated.
“Service centres countrywide have machinery problem but we chose to start with supporting this one.
“We want to see serious business at this centre and we’re optimistic this business won’t fail,” she said.
Acting provincial mining director Sokesimbone Lunga said it was impressive to see the commitment shown by women miners to actively participate in developing the country’s economy.
“We would be happy to see all the districts in our province having such a facility to empower women miners. Empowering a woman means development of families, which would automatically translate to development of the economy,” he said.
Provincial administrator Sikhangezile Mafu said the service centre would support women to positively contribute towards the success of the ZimAsset.
“We hope other districts would also adopt this noble initiative so that we develop our province,” she said.
Councillor George Chipengo of Ward 22 said as policy makers, they would immensely support women miners grow their business.
Mthandazo Women Miners Association chairperson Sithembile Ndlovu thanked the government for fulfilling its promises by supporting them to make a positive impact on the economy.
“We really appreciate the support, it would go a long way in increasing output,” she said.
Ndlovu said they were however in dire need of a truck to transport their gold ore as they faced serious challenges in doing so.
The women miners also appealed to responsible authorities to ensure they were protected against interference from some greedy male miners who had a tendency of pushing women out of their mining areas.
Provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development Merjury Sikhundla assured the women miners of protection saying that if they encountered any challenges in their operations, they should report to their ministry.
She encouraged women to take their gold to Fidelity Printers and Refineries for their work to have an impact on the economy.
UNDP had an agreement with the government to support women empowerment programmes and encourage them to fully participate in the various sectors of the economy.
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