Chronicle Editor
WISDOM Matseka saunters along with a group of elderly men and women in his wake, keenly following the young man ahead.
The smell of freshly rained upon earth lingers in the now searing post rain heat, while lizards rush past the host sand to rest in the shade of the wait-a-bit thorn bushes that adorn the African thickets of Mvuma town, some 193 kilometres south-west of the Zimbabwean capital Harare.
Wisdom, well named, is leading an interesting coalition of various people from varied backgrounds who have formed a syndicate that celebrates the very ethos of Zimbabwe’s struggle for self determination, united by an ally determined to see the community thrive and ensure the gains of the pursuit for self determination go directly to the communities who need them the most — Duration Gold Limited.
The mining company, which runs among other mines Vubachikwe Mine in Gwanda, Royal Family in Filabusi, Gaika in Kwekwe and this mine, Athens Mine, in Mvuma, where Wisdom and his syndicate operate from.
Close to a decade ago, Duration started a pioneering project where they decided not to hog the rich land under their auspices as a gold mining concern, in order to prevent conflict with artisanal illegal miners, opting to co-opt them and their operations instead, resulting in them joining forces and processing the ore from the artisanals that would have been granted claims on Duration superintended land.
Yet in a fresh take, Wisdom’s team has joined the mining syndicates but it is a very special and unique group that is closest to Duration’s management’s hearts. They are a team of War Veterans!
“Our syndicate heard that Duration was working well with artisanal miners and we felt that our parents and grandparents, who are veterans of the liberation war, could benefit from also joining such a programme and we applied to be a part of it and were granted the right to operate,” says the 32-year-old Wisdom Matseka.
“We resolved that war veterans from Zilwaco, their children and grandchildren need to partner and come together to also reap benefits from the programme and we have not looked back ever since and have no regrets in joining whatsoever.”
Savvy about all things mining, Wisdom is the technical and intellectual muscle for the team, helping them realise maximum benefits from a programme that has transformed their lives immensely.
Mine Manager, Maulana Phiri, is beside himself with the success of the programme.
“We knew there was a need to share national resources while at the same time ensuring that artisanal miners operate in safety and security. That resulted in us even providing security and expertise to the artisanal miners which have proven to be a win-win for us all as we are now working as a united front.
What makes us all the more proud is the fact that there are many women war veterans that are part of this syndicate and this has made that inalienable fight for self determination make sense as the community has now been given a piece of the natural resource pie, thanks to an ingenious strategic partnership hatched by Duration Gold’s leadership and management,” he said.
John Nyilongo (71) is a blaster employed by the mine who offers technical services to the syndicates, and goes round on circuits to blast for the various syndicates ensuring that safe practices are employed by the miners both for their own safety and that of the environment in which they operate in line with the green mining pursuits of the company.
“Ever since we started working with the syndicates, we have virtually done away with unnecessary accidents and the well-being of the artisanal miners is a top priority for us,” says the confident old-timer.
Yet the importance of being a part of this programme is all the more poignantly explained by 61-year-old war veteran Gogo Caritas Chapanduka.
“We went to the war to gain from the land; this land, our land. It only made sense that when we heard this great offer by our partner Duration Gold, we organised to be a part of it. We needed school fees for our children and grandchildren. We needed money for basics. War Veterans sacrificed a lot but were not getting anything from their country’s wealth from the soil. Duration Gold changed that. There is a lot more that can be done, but the starting fundamentals are on point,” she said.
The syndicates have access to free gold while their ore is processed by the mine on a 50-50 split basis after which they pay nominal fees for production costs and pocket the rest among themselves.
“We need help getting equipment of our own and perhaps a compressor to hasten our production processes. We cannot get loans but perhaps the mine can help us get equipment and we may buy them off-setting the cost on our remittances or something. We are better empowered with equipment. Or they can vouch for us and we get a bank loan,” suggested Wisdom.
Sixty-seven-year-old fellow war veteran Abrahan Nhira was glowing in his praise of the initiative: “We felt honoured by Duration Gold to be recognised as veterans of the war for self determination. We are currently engaging the mine so that they can enhance security protocol because sometimes we hit a rich belt that has great results but the moment we retire and word goes out the other rogue members of other syndicates may come in and our luck and efforts will be dealt a blow,” he said.
Duration Gold pledged to double down on their security to the syndicates saying investing in security is investing in the Zimbabwean dream, considering the contributions of the war veteran syndicates as well as other syndicates that are registered to operate at Athens.
“The Zimbabwean dream entails inclusion and leaving no one and no place behind. We are happy to help play midwife to the realisation of that dream for especially the war veterans and youth and their beneficiaries. Securing their claims helps us achieve the happiness that the people — our partners — deserve,” said Phiri.
As the sun rises further, the war veterans have to go back into the bushes and into the trenches like they did in 1976. However, this time, they will emerge with silver and gold and all things the earth is pregnant with, that their God and ancestors bequeathed them with, thanks in part to an ingenious idea, by Duration Gold Limited!
Online Reporter