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Charmaine Brown, Harare Bureau
Government is committed to resolving leadership issues which have rocked Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) through engaging all the parties involved, Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando has said.
Speaking during a press briefing In Harare yesterday Minister Chitando said the resolution of leadership issues in the ZMF needed to be resolved urgently because the organisation was a key stakeholder in the development of the mining sector.
“As a ministry we would like to see leadership issues being resolved by parties coming together and resolving any differences which may have arisen in ZMF amicably. It is absolutely important to note that the federation is a key stakeholder in the development of the mining sector.
“ZMF leadership issues were not resolved in court hence it is important for a body which represents the significant number of operators in the mining industry to be attended to immediately,” he said.
Minister Chitando urged the membership of ZMF to put the interests of the federation first.
“I am appealing to the membership of ZMF to put the interests of the federation first and kindly resolve any issues which may be there and it is a long process but nevertheless in the interim it should not compromise the ability of ZMF to effectively represent its membership.
“The ministry has indicated the mandate which it had been given by His Excellency Mnangagwa to achieve a $12-billion-dollar industry by the year 2023 and ZMF is an important stakeholder in achieving that mandate,” he said.
ZMF leadership disputes arose after a group of miners under the banner Zvishavane-Mberengwa Miners’ Association (ZMMA) challenged the election of Ms Henrietta Rushwaya as president of the federation during election that were held on June 14 last year.
Since then the group has been trying to fight to have Ms Rushwaya’s election nullified by the courts on the basis that she used unorthodox means to land the presidency.
Their latest bid hit a snag after Justice Martin Makonese of the Bulawayo High ruled on Thursday last week that their application was not urgent because the matter was already before the Supreme Court.
“The application in its present form is fatally defective. On 21 March Moyo J, confirmed the provisional order that was being sought under case number HC 1682/18. An appeal has been noted against that ruling. The matter is now before the Supreme Court. The Applicant indicates that this court must grant an interdict essentially regarding the same dispute. This approach smacks of abuse of court process. Such conduct is discouraged. The respondent has been put out of pocket in opposing this claim. Responded is entitled to recover their costs in full,” read part of the judgement.
“It is my view that the application before me is not urgent. In any case the order sought in the draft order is not competent as it is not supported by the averments in the founding affidavit. It was clear that not much thought was put in preparing and filing this application,” it further reads.
The ruling by the High Court means that Ms Rushwaya will remain president of the ZMF unless the Supreme Court rules otherwise.
Online Reporter