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SMALL-scale miners will this week meet in Bulawayo to give input to the final draft of the amended Mines and Mineral Act. The Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) secretary for information and publicity Ishmael Kaguru told Business Chronicle that the meeting is an all stakeholders event. “Our members are meeting with other stakeholders to give input to the final draft of the amended Mines and Minerals Act.
“Small-scale miners have in the past advocated for a legal framework that promotes their operations. For example, under the Mines and Minerals’ Act, big mining companies are still entitled to ownership of idle Exclusive Prospecting Orders despite the use-it-or-lose it concept the government adopted,” said Kaguru.
In recent years, concerns have been raised over some players in the mining sector who were holding onto the under-utilised land for speculative tendencies.
Due to the absence of a policy that empowers the government to repossess under-utilised land, some large mining houses were still clinging onto their mining claims.
“We’re encouraging our members to come in their numbers at the all-stakeholders meeting to be held at the Zimbabwe School of Mines on Friday,” he said.
The government strongly recognises the contribution of the small-scale mining industry.
Against this background, the government has over the years instituted a number of policies aimed at boosting small-scale mining operations in sectors that include gold and chrome.
The government has said amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act will make minerals exploration more transparent, accountable and sustainable.
If the Mines and Minerals Act, crafted in 1963, is amended, it is likely to promote investment and sustainable development.
The new law is expected to guarantee security of tenure and solve land conflicts between miners and farmers.
Online Reporter