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Zvamaida Murwira Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT’s delay in expeditiously resolving disputes is threatening gold production among small-scale miners in Shamva where more than 500 youths are employed in the sector. In an interview during a tour of small-scale mines in the area at the weekend, Shamva South National Assembly representative, Cde Joseph Mapiki (Zanu-PF), said the disputes range from double allocations and unclear boundaries.
Many disputes are a decade old.
He said Mines and Mining Development Ministry must be capacitated to have adequate resources and personnel to deal with the problems plaguing the mining town in Mashonaland Central province.
“We have people coming from the same ministry with papers on one claim. The rule is that once there is a dispute on a claim you cease operations pending finalisation of the dispute. There lies the problem,” said Cde Mapiki.
The legislator called for an audit of gold claims amid concerns that some miners were holding land for speculative reasons. He said some miners were securing multi-million dollars in Western capitals on the back of gold claim certificates they were not utilising.
“Some white farmers own acres of gold claims which they are not using but just holding for speculative reasons,” he said.
He decried steep mining fees levied on game reserves saying this defeated Government’s indigenisation thrust.
“It costs US$4 000 to get a permit in these game reserves and that is where there is high concentration of gold ore but our people do not afford these mining fees.” Cde Mapiki called for transparent distribution of the US$100 million loan facility announced by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa in the 2014 National Budget proposals.
“We do not want a situation where established miners benefit ahead of small-scale miners” he said.
Online Reporter