adminTherefore the emotions and the near-fights between Government and some foreign investors in this sector is understandable and yet inexcusable in certain instances.
We want to applaud Government for remaining resolute in its fight for the rights of the Zimbabweans, a case in point being one in which Zimbabwe Platinum Mines has taken Government to court as it resists directives to relinquish 27 809 hectares of land containing platinum reserves.
Zimplats argues that Government must pay millions of dollars in compensation and yet the land has always belonged to Government as provided for in the Mining Act.
Mining rights in this country are vested in the President. This means acquisition of any claim does not transfer ownership from Government to an investor.
This is a fair policy that should ordinarily be easy to comprehend, but we are perturbed by the ignorance and acute myopia being demonstrated by Zimplats and other investors arguing to the contrary.
As emphasised by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara last week, Government has the right to demand the release of any excess claims without having to pay for them because a mining right does not translate into ownership of assets thereof.
Government has identified the mining sector as one of the most viable in terms of empowering Zimbabweans, and rightly so.
This means that it requires all the support it can get and will not hesitate to summon its muscle to ensure a more equitable distribution of wealth.
In its quest to repossess land from Zimplats, Government has undertaken a study that has determined that the mining giant has too much land which it does not even have immediate plans to develop.
Even after 20 years the firm will not have exploited all the minerals on the land hence it becomes logical that other investors be allocated the excess land to create value, generate wealth and employment in the process.
Zimbabweans need to benefit from their resources and, where possible, the onus is on Government to repossess any idle or excess land or mining claims to allocate to those that can turn them into real value.
The growth of the mining sector has been constricted by investors who hold on to claims for speculative purposes and yet more economic value could be derived from mining activities.
On a daily basis mining claims in this country are being auctioned on websites and yet true value is in the exploitation.
Indeed Government has now come out to pluck out any such holders of claims to allocate to serious investors with the wherewithal to generate value.
In the case of Zimplats, the company has indeed invested millions of dollars, but it will not exhaust all the platinum that is underground in the foreseeable future hence the need to allocate the excess to other investors.
In no way is Government squeezing life out of Zimplats, but the plea is that the platinum giant should not be greedy but should only bite off more than it can chew.
At current mining levels, it will take at least 400 years for Zimbabwe to exhaust its platinum reserves so there is more than enough for everyone.
More investors will mean the creation of more jobs while downstream industries will also immensely benefit from increased activities.
So as much as we want to respect agreements, we must understand the context in which these are made and the laws that govern the mining sector and thus seek to operate within these for the good of the country and its people.
Those that are holding on to mining claims for too long should have them repossessed as Government steps up efforts to empower its people.
In this instance we urge the Government to be more aggressive in implementing its use-it-or-lose-it policy.
Too many claims are in the hands of speculative buyers and yet we have serious local and even international investors ready to inject funds into mining.
As the indigenisation programme gathers pace, investors such as Zimplats will need to realise, sooner rather than later, that the empowerment drive will in no way be impeded by greed or some such characteristic meant to stifle national economic growth.
There is more in a win-win and prosper-thy-neighbour scenario than a situation where a country’s wealth is in the hands of a few and largely foreign hands.
Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans who must be empowered to enjoy the fruits of their land and the God-given natural resources which are in abundance in this country.
Online Reporter