Chronicle Editor
THE recently-launched Vubachikwe Mine small-scale gold project has gathered momentum with the major shareholder paying a surprise visit on the project to assess the situation on the ground.
While the Gwanda based gold mine, run by Duration Gold had been closed for two years following an illegal strike that left destruction in its wake, the newly started project has shone great light on the potential of the project as both management and workers wait for the implementation of the greater “restart programme” which shall see the building of greater resources bringing stability to the mine.
Worker-management relations are also at their very best ever since the strike, with a series of interactions that shall see the retiring of what the workers are owed as well as going forward to get the mine back to its former glory.
Mine manager, None Kananji, who is in charge of the small-scale project hailed the steps taken so far to ensure the mine started producing and contributing to the national fiscus and furthering the Government’s dream of ensuring a upper middle class economy by the year 2030.
“We have needed a reservoir of tenacity to put this project together and been very deliberate in how much thought we needed to put into the project before rolling it out. This stage where we found ourselves is a tribute to several months of hard work, energy and tireless dedication by both the owner and the workers who are well meaning,” said Kananji of the project.
“We have had anxious times with workers wanting to earn their keep and this project has brought a lot of hope for the village and will ensure economic stability for the workers following that unfortunate strike several months ago, which of course all well meaning people and workers condemned.”
Mine spokesperson Robert Mukondiwa said the visit by the owner ended in success.
“Our principal toured the project and was remarkably pleased with the progress as well as the hard work exhibited by the men and women who are working round the clock to ensure that the project is successful,” said Mukondiwa.
“There may have been anxiety on our principal’s part, Government especially our parent ministry as well as the workers who are outside of essential services who are currently on now work no pay who obviously want to see the mine reopening but the kicking off of the small-scale project certainly has calmed a lot of nerves and has shown that the pulse of the project is palpable and very vibrant,” said Mukondiwa.
Mukondiwa hinted that other infrastructure destroyed in the strike was currently being attended to with emphasis and focus being on the clinic which serves the village and had been destroyed in the strike as well as the ambulance that also serviced the workers, their families and other villagers.
“Very soon we will be giving good news on the progress in that area and certainly we know the workers will be happy with the progress we will announce.
“The lesson has certainly been learnt that destroying infrastructure that serves or any infrastructure at all regardless of whether we directly benefit from it is not the most cerebral of moves,” he said.
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