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Cletus Mushanawani
News Editor
IN a move designed to promote devolution and community development through the use of local resources, Government has granted mining title to Chief Marange to mine diamonds in the Chiadzwa area.
Chief Marange and his people, who will be operating under the Tefra Mining Syndicate banner, are among communities that were given the nod to mine and benefit from local minerals in their areas.
The country’s liberation war veterans will also benefit from the mining titles.
This is in line with Government’s quest to attain a US$12 billion mining industry.
Speaking after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, announced the ground-breaking development.
“Following the boom in the mining sector, Government has seen it fit to broaden participation of communities in the sector.
“To that end, Cabinet wishes to advise the nation that it granted the request by the following traditional leaders to acquire mining titles in reserved areas for the benefit of their communities: Tefra Mining Syndicate (Chief Marange); Goromonzi Mining Trust (Chiefs Rusike, Chinamora, Chikwaka); Chinamhora Mining Syndicate (Chief Chinamhora); Chiwara Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiwara); Bere SP Mining Syndicate (Chief Bere); and Budiriro Mining Syndicate (Chief Chiweshe). Cabinet further granted the request by war veterans for mining titles,” said Sen Mutsvangwa.
In an interview with The Manica Post, an excited Chief Marange welcomed the development and said it was long overdue.
“We were eagerly waiting for this announcement. For years, we have been pushing for the granting of a mining concession to the local community and we are happy that Government has positively responded.
“We are the custodians of the local resources, but we were getting few benefits from their explorations. Different companies, including illegal diamond panners, have been mining at Chiadzwa diamond fields for years now, but there is very little to show in terms of development for the local communities.
“Now that we will be operating our own diamond mine, this will be a dawn of a new era for Marange and Manicaland Province at large. We know what we want in terms of development and instead of fattening our pockets, the community will benefit and lives will change.
“Our children will also benefit from the employment that this company will create,” said Chief Marange. Centre for Research Development director, Mr James Mupfumi, said the allocation of the mining title to the Marange community is in line with the constitutional provision of transferring devolution powers to provincial councils.
“The Constitution oblige Government to transfer devolution powers to provincial councils where traditional leaders will have autonomy over their resources to enable lawful, sustainable benefits and development of their communities from natural resources,” he said.
He, however, called for sustainable operations to avoid self-serving and environmental carnage as is obtaining in some mining areas across the country.
Chiadzwa Community Share Ownership Trust chief executive officer, Dr Hardwork Mukwada said he would comment after making consultations.
However, Dr Mukwada was earlier on quoted in the Press saying: “We are very happy to mention that Government allocated a concession to the Marange community to promote community development.
“We are putting the development right in the hands of the community. That is devolution and that is empowerment because we are going to be masters of the development of our own community.
“The magnitude of the project does not allow Government to entrust it in the hands of a disjointed and fragmented community. Our role is to make sure that the whole community is on one page.
“Our starting point was to bring all the community based organisations operating in Marange under the same page.”
He added: “After that, unity among the traditional leadership in Marange saw them coming together. We assisted them to register a community trust which is called Chiadzwa Community Share Ownership Trust. That is the mother body that plays the oversight roles.”
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