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Business Reporter
KOBE Group Mine, a small-scale gold mining outfit in Mazowe is battling to retain ownership of its lucrative mining amid hostile takeover attempts by a local firm, LT and P Mining Syndicate, which is claiming ownership of the mining asset.
The Kobe Group Mine has been running operations at the Mazowe mine for the past 14 years, and already has a running partnership with Chinese investors with whom they intend to scale up operations.
LT and P Mining Syndicate, led by Messrs Kufakunesu Ndoro, Lovemore Sanudi, Prince Sanudi, and Thomas Chizomba, filed letters of complaint to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development in January 2023 contesting the ownership status of the mine area.
The syndicate claimed the mining area was donated to them by Fatrim Trading, but could not furnish the responsible authorities with proof of ownership. The mining area was originally owned by Desman Mine, but was later forfeited to the Government after its owner left the country, resulting in Kobe Group Mine taking ownership of the asset in 2009 before registering it as Kobe Group Syndicate (Pvt) Ltd on 7 September 2015 under transfer numbers 30746 and 30747.
The High Court Order, under case number HC443/23 and on January 31 2023, ordered a ground verification exercise in the presence of all parties involved in the matter.
However, according to the joint findings of the parties, as captured in the records of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, LT and P Mining Syndicate and Kufakunesu Ndoro are not entitled to the disputed claims.
Neither LT and P Mining Syndicate nor KM Ndoro own Desman Mine, the records show.
The dispute over ownership of the mine has caused the halting of mining operations until February 14, 2022, pending the High Court verdict, but it emerged this has created an avenue for vandalism of property at the Kobe Group Mine amid reports of growing cases of theft.
Just this week, a jaw crusher and gold milling motors worth thousands of US dollars were reportedly stolen from the premise with the syndicate attempting to wrestle away the mine suspected to be behind the activities.
According to Mr Prince Danda, one of the Kobe Mine Group directors LT and P, the syndicate looking to take over the mining asset attempted to forge paperwork for ownership to gain control of the mining claims.
“We have been operating on the mine for 14 years and all of a sudden LT and P Mining Syndicate is coming to claim ownership of the mine.
“They unprocedurally altered and forged documents to resuscitate the forfeited Desman mine. They have gone as far as forging the documentation, coordinates, reef cards, and inspections in order to contest and occupy the mine,” said Mr Danda.
“They were even allowed to pay for claim licenses fees backdated seven years in one day, something which is very improper,” he said.
A report of the findings from a ground inspection of the disputed matter showed that LT and P Mining and KM Ndoro failed to produce proof of authority to carry out any mining activity at the mine.
Kobe Mining Group currently employs 50 locals and intends to grow the number to 150 as the operations grow while a further five Chinese nationals are also but of those employed at the mining operation.
Online Reporter