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Cyril Mushambi
A committee comprising Vubachikwe Mine management, Government officials and progressive workers has been set to launch a pathway that will see the giant gold mine resume operations.
A workout plan detailing the roadmap to reopening has since been put together by the mine management which should be agreed by partners in Government including the Ministry of Labour and related interested Government arms with expectations that the implementation will commence as soon as it is agreed on.
“The key thing is to ensure that the mine reopens and we can fix the damage to the mine and amenities with a view to serving the community and contributing to the fiscus yet again for the good of the community and nation as a whole,” said mine manager Mr None Kananji.
The rampage by the unreasonable hordes ended with the destruction of the mine clinic, which shall be closed for operations for the foreseeable future as renovations commence after the damage is fully ascertained.
“The problem is that there is ignorance from some of the vandals. They destroyed a clinic that services them and the disadvantage to the community is now apparent hence some are saying renovate the broken windows and geyser and reopen the clinic fairly quickly.
“There is no understanding that a clinic will need to go through the requisite processes by legal bodies to be given a clean bill of health that it may reopen again. The problem with vandals is they do not value property and think fixing their mess can be done on the click of a button,” added Kananji.
Mine Management says the clinic will be closed for some time and those who used to be serviced by the clinic will have to make use of Gwanda Hospital. It is an inconvenience but it is one that could have been avoided had the workers received intelligent leadership that discouraged them from vandalising property.
Add to that, the destruction of the ambulance which was on call for workers and their families will be out of service for a while.
However, with the crafting of the workout plan and its sharing this week, conditions are ripe for legitimate concerned stakeholders to sit around the table with a view to resuscitating the mine and bringing food on the table for workers, many of whom are regretting the unintelligent decision to go violent and destroy infrastructure.
“There are a few people in the workers’ leadership that are being belligerent but in truth many people are not happy with the bad decision to lead workers into a violent confrontation as this has put the livelihoods of many in jeopardy with hunger creeping into the families,” said a mine worker who refused to be identified.
With the machines cold, quiet and immobile just before the festive season, many fear the state of workers will take a turn.
“With no production there are losses suffered every minute as the clock ticks.
“Any intelligent leader would have predetermined that any violence would end in pain. However, the welfare of workers remains of utmost importance and management is seized with how to save the situation in spite of the fact that there is no money and production owing to the chaos orchestrated by the so called union leadership lurking in the shadows.
The correct position would be to look forward and seek a solution that will ensure the workers and especially their families are well fed and catered for,” said a spokesperson for Vubachikwe Mine Robert Mukondiwa.
“We can keep pointing fingers at the less than intelligent decision to descend to violence, or we can rise above the madness and focus on rebuilding.
“For the good of the community, business and decency of the human spirit, looking forward and building is the only way to go in our view,” he added.
Londile Moyo
Bongani Ndlovu