adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
ILLEGAL miners operating in Mangwe district face eviction as the local authority has started compiling a data base of all mining activities in the district with a view to bringing to book unregistered operators. Mangwe Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Nketha Mangoye Dlamini, said there was a lot of chaos in the mining sector in the district.
She said the council had embarked on a data capture exercise to determine those operating outside law.
“We hope to have compiled a database by July then we will go on the ground and restore order. We will remove all those who are mining without authorisation and those mining on undesignated points but those with licences will be moved to their appropriate mining points,” said Dlamini.
“We’ve got a list from the Ministry of Mines but it is not comprehensive as there are some miners who are registered but they do not appear on the list. We are meeting with the ministry in order to ensure that we have a complete and common database.”
Dlamini said for a long time council has not been coordinating with the Ministry of Mines in regulating mining activities in the area.
“The Ministry of Mines is responsible for issuing licences but as a responsible authority we should be aware of the people mining in the area. People have just been moving to the mining areas without the knowledge of the local authority,” he said.
“This has been making it difficult to make a follow up when collecting taxes and ascertaining the jurisdiction of miners.”
Dlamini acknowledged reports of disputes over mining claims saying council has been failing to intervene because it does not have proper documentation.
“We have five wards doing mining activities and we have completed the land use planning programme in three of these wards. This programme will specify which areas have been set apart for mining activities,” he said.
“The problem is that people have been mining on areas meant for grazing purposes. We will also be able to tell when someone is mining on undesignated points. Those found operating illegally will be evicted.”
Dlamini said the data capture process set to end next month would assist council resolve mining wrangles going on in the district.
A total of 78 small scale gold miners operating from Mangwe’s Makorokoro area were recently displaced following a wrangle over claims.
One of the area councillors Clement Majahana also said having a data base would help bring sanity to the mining sector in the district.
“Some local miners are complaining that they are being displaced from their claims by people coming from outside the district. This has caused great confusion and disorder in the mining areas,” said Clr Majahana.
He said documentation was needed to resolve such disputes.
The local authority has been failing to collect proceeds from mining activities in the district as some miners are not registered.
derick.khumalo