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Since Government launched the Community Share Ownership Scheme Trust (CSOS/T) in 2011, a number of companies have come forward to participate in the scheme. Under the scheme meant to empower the previously marginalised rural communities, companies exploiting natural resources such as minerals, cede 10 percent shares to communities they are operating in. The communities then use the proceeds from their shares to fund development projects such as building schools, clinics, construction of roads or bridges.
What Government has realised is that many communities are living in abject poverty in areas with poor infrastructure yet their areas are endowed with natural resources that are being exploited to develop other countries.
What is pleasing, as we have already alluded to, is that soon after the launch of the community share ownership scheme by Government, a number of companies have shown willingness to participate in the scheme. It is pleasing and encouraging to note that companies, including wholly indigenous companies, are coming up with new initiatives of economically empowering local communities.
According to the story we published in Business Chronicle yesterday, Gurus Holdings, a wholly indigenous company who are the owners of Freda Mine in Gwanda, have come up with a new initiative meant to empower the locals. The company has resolved to cede 14 of its gold mining claims to the locals. The beneficiaries are drawn from wards 8, 9 and 21 of Gwanda Rural District Council.
According to Gurus Holdings managing director, Mr Ignatius Gonah, ceding the claims is his company’s contribution to the Government’s programme of economically empowering the people.
“We are a local indigenous company that is not linked to any foreign company but we feel that we have to plough back to the community where we are mining the gold, hence our decision to cede these claims to the locals,” said Mr Gonah.
He said the mine was not just giving the claims to the community but was going to assist with the required expertise as well as some of the equipment which the community might not have. He said the concept behind the arrangement was to enable both the mine and the community to benefit directly from the mining of gold.
Ward Nine councillor, Mr Mozitha Moyo, said the arrangement would benefit the people immensely. We want at this juncture to implore other indigenous companies to emulate the Gurus example so that more communities can benefit directly from the exploitation of their natural resources.
Apart from allowing communities to benefit directly from their resources, such arrangements promote peaceful co-existence of companies and communities. Cases of conflict under such arrangements are minimised.
We have stated it before that those companies that do not want to share the natural resources with local communities, who are the very owners of the resources, have no place in this country. Gone are the days when companies exploited natural resources to develop their countries of origin while the locals lived in abject poverty.
We want to once again say thumbs up to Gurus Holdings and hope more companies will come up with similar initiatives.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter