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to make ends meet as they are owed three months’ salary by their employer.
Shabanie Mine had ceased operations in 2009 due to financial problems but recalled its workers early this year when the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) took over the running of the asbestos mine.
ZMDC is said to be bankrolling the resuscitation of the mine while it continues searching for a potential investor.
It also gave the workers a three months salary lump sum payment and promised to settle the workers’ outstanding salaries in batches.
Shabanie Mine workers had stopped receiving their salaries in 2009.
Workers interviewed yesterday said things were not as rosy as portrayed to the world at the mine as the ZMDC was still to secure a “serious” investor.
The workers said ZMDC has been paying their salaries since January, but was now struggling to pay them due to lack of production.
They said they were last paid in July and only received a paltry $25 last week.
“It seems our woes are far from being over at Shabanie Mine. ZMDC is still struggling to secure an investor. We had high hopes when we were summoned back to work as we all believed that our problems were coming to an end. It, however, seems we are far from turning around the fortunes of this mine,” said a worker.
The workers said a majority of them were now taking leave days barely some months after being re-called to work.
They claimed that they were being forced to work using makeshift tools like picks and chisels as the company was yet to buy new mining machinery to replace the old tools, some of which were stolen when the mine closed in 2009.
“There was a Chinese company which needed 15 000 tonnes of chinda ore and we have been forced to mine the product with limited resources as ZMDC is still struggling to resuscitate the mine without a partner. We have been mining these 15 000 tonnes of chinda ore with limited resources available for the past three months and we only managed to meet the target about two weeks ago. When the Chinese company took the chinda that’s when we were given $25 each as workers,” said another worker.
Chairman of the interim workers committee Mr Peter Masuku confirmed that they were still struggling to get their salaries.
He said he was also part of the many workers who have since applied for some leave days.
“I am home as I am broke. I am not even aware that some of my colleagues got $25 as part payment for salaries last week. I will have to go to the bank to check my balance. We are suffering as workers and we don’t know when things will be okay at our mine,” said Mr Masuku.
Several efforts to get a comment from ZMDC chairman Mr Godwills Masimirembwa were fruitless as all his mobile numbers were not reachable.
Shabanie and Mashaba Mines administrator, Mr Afaras Gwarazimba, however, confirmed that Shabanie Mine was still to secure an investor.
Online Reporter