adminTafadzwa Ndlovu Herald Reporter
Mutoko Rural District Council has implored Government to expedite the launch of Mashonaland East Community Share Ownership Scheme for the community to benefit from its natural resources.There are companies exploiting black granite and are believed to be making millions of dollars.
In an interview on the sidelines of a two-day induction workshop for councillors in the area on Thursday, chief executive officer for Mutoko RDC, Mr Peter Sigauke, said the scheme would bring revenue to run the district.
“There is a need for Government to speed up the launch of the community ownership scheme to benefit our district. Our community needs development in various areas so we will be happy if people directly enjoy benefits of their resources,” he said.
Mutoko councillors also expressed concern over the land degradation as a direct result of mining activities. Mr Sigauke said that the companies that were mining in the district were failing to reclaim the land.
“There is little or no rehabilitation taking place after mining black granite stone, leaving hectares of open and degraded land. We urge miners to reclaim land so that it can be used for agricultural purposes as stipulated by the Environmental Management Act of 2003 and a section under the Environment Impact Assessment Policy that all mining firms should rehabilitate mined land for other activities,” said Mr Sigauke.
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