adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
MANGWE Rural District Council has reduced by 60 percent the fixed mining levy paid by miners following an outcry from small-scale miners who felt it was unaffordable.
The council’s chief executive officer, Nketha Mangoye Dlamini said the local authority resolved to slash fixed mining levy from $500 to $200 for the whole year.
“We have reduced the levy with effect from this year. The reason is that we realised that the fee was beyond the reach of most small-scale miners and as a result they were absconding from making their payments and for those who were making payments, the fee was crippling their activities,” said Mangoye Dlamini.
He added, “Instead we have introduced a rehabilitation levy. This is a new levy which will be paid by miners based on their level of output. Each miner will be expected to pay $15 per tonne.”
Mangoye Dlamini said the reduction in the levy will assist the local authority in flushing out illegal miners and help formalise the sector.
“Reducing mining levies will help us flush out illegal mining activities as well as monitor the payment of levies. A number of small-scale miners were not forthcoming in legalising their activities as they wanted to dodge payments.
“The rates were also crippling the work of some miners as we were charging a fixed amount for miners who are at various levels. The rehabilitation levy will ensure that miners are charged as per their capacity of production,” said Mangoye Dlamini.
The local authority has been failing to collect proceeds from mining activities in the district as some miners are not registered.
Mangoye Dlamini said the local authority had compiled a database of about 200 miners.
“Miners have been operating without our knowledge which was making it difficult to compile a database.
“We have engaged the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development as there was poor co-ordination between us and them. We have since managed to enter about 200 miners in our database.
“The ministry was dealing directly with the miners and they were allocating them working space without our knowledge. We have reached a consensus that miners will not commence activities without notifying the local authority,” he said.
Mangoye Dlamini, however, said people were clashing over unpegged areas with some accusing the ministry of not handling the issue properly.
He said most mining areas in the district were flooded with illegal panners, some from areas outside Mangwe and said there was a need to regulate the sector and restore order.
Mangoye Dlamini said an inspection that was carried out recently revealed that land degradation in those areas was high and that most mining sites did not have protective fencing, sanitary facilities and proper mining equipment.
Online Reporter