Mining companies slammed

Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
BIG mining companies in Gwanda have been slammed for importing labour into the district yet many locals are unemployed. Gwanda residents told MPs during a meeting that big mines such as Blanket Mine, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) and Vumbachikwe continued to import labour instead of employing locals. Speaking during a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy public hearing in Gwanda, the residents said the mines were a let down as they have employed just a few locals while the bulk of their workforce is from outside the district.

The residents told the committee led by Cde Lovemore Matuke that the youths were the most affected by importation of labour.
“Our children remain jobless because these mines opt for people from outside to come and work here. Where do they expect our children to go? We want that issue to be attended to,” said a resident.

They said they wanted the mines to give first preference to locals when it comes to employing general labour.
Gwanda Youth in Mining chairperson Philemon Mokuele said they had approached big mines several times to support youths by giving them claims to no avail.

Gwanda Town ward nine Councillor Thulani Moyo said the local authority was also not happy with the decision by big mining companies to employ people from outside the town as it negatively affected the municipality’s operations.

“Residents are failing to pay their bills to the municipality because whenever these mines employ, they take people from outside Gwanda. Unemployment levels are high in this town because mines shun locals,” he said.

Clr Moyo said MPs should push for a policy that stipulates that the bulk of the companies’ workforce should be made up of locals.
The mines were also blamed for failing to improve the town’s infrastructure.

“These mines have trucks coming in and out of town on a daily basis damaging the roads but are not doing anything to repair the roads,” said Clr Moyo.
Failure to get employment at the mines has forced most youths in Gwanda to resort to illegal mining activities which has seen some of them being jailed.

Some residents appealed for the release of jailed illegal panners saying the panners were just trying to eke out a living.
Small scale miners also bemoaned the absence of machinery and financial support.

However, during a visit to Blanket Mine, in response to the concerns, the general manager Caxton Mangezi said, “We employ people according to their qualifications. We cannot say, today we are taking people from Ntepe because it is in Gwanda.”

Mangezi said Blanket Mine had been active in repairing the road leading to the mine and also funded projects at some rural schools.
“We have done a lot for the community. We repaired and resurfaced the road from Bar 20 near Gwanda town. We have a thriving irrigation scheme benefiting the community and have projects we did at Simbumbumbu and Sibona schools,” he said.