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Joseph Madzimure Senior Reporter
MINERS for Economic Development is moving around the country lobbying for small scale miners to register to vote in the coming harmonised elections.
Some small-scale miners do not have national identity cards hence Miners for ED are coming to their rescue by providing transport to ensure they have access to IDs and register as voters.
The lobby group has so far visited 12 mining areas and registered 13 250 small scale miners.
Speaking soon after meeting with small scale miners and mining owners at Benson Mine in Mutoko, Miners for ED spokesperson Mr Edmund Kuchera said their aim is to identify small scale miners who do not have national identification and are not registered voters to ensure that they get identification and register to vote.
The Miners for ED, he said, will ensure that all miners are registered voters; through site visits and registration.
“It is important to note that we have many small-scale miners that are scattered all over the country. These miners contribute almost a fifth of the electorate but unfortunately this demography barely participates in the election processes.
“We saw the need to spearhead an intensive campaign to ensure they are registered voters,” said Mr Kuchera.
He said they would play an integral part in the economic transformation in line with vision 2030.
“Zimbabwe is richly endowed with human and natural resources which present vast opportunities for everyone. We stand apart as a unique nation, driven by values of mutual tolerance, peace and unity which we have displayed, notwithstanding our diverse demographic, cultural and political persuasions,” echoed Mr Kuchera.
Some of their objectives, he said are to develop capacity building tools and programmes that attract, retain, and promote the advancement of miners in the extractive industries.
The lobby group said they would also push for the establishment of gold buying centres across the country to avoid gold leaks.
Online Reporter