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Speaking to journalists after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Indigenisation and
Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) and ZimDiv Holdings Limited in Bulawayo yesterday, Minister Kasukuwere said his ministry had communicated with the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) to start the process of taking over the mine.
Vumbachikwe Gold Mine located about 8km north-west of Gwanda Town reportedly refused to be part of the 15 mining companies that are participating in the recently launched Gwanda Community Share Ownership Scheme Trust (CSOS/T).
The CSOS/T is a national initiative meant to directly benefit rural communities by giving them a 10 percent stake in all businesses that exploit natural resources in the area.
The companies under the Indigenisation programme are supposed to cede 51 percent of their shares to Zimbabweans.
Management at Vumbachikwe Mine, however, refused to be part of the initiative arguing that the owners of the gold mine are indigenous people and not foreigners as is the case with other mines.
Minister Kasukuwere said the Government did not tolerate the attitude of the mine’s management who think that they are still living in Rhodesia.
“We have started working on taking over Vumbachikwe Mine because the authorities think they are still in Rhodesia. As Government we have rules and regulations that have to be followed and we will not tolerate such reaction from companies,” said Minister Kasukuwere.
“They can go to court, heaven or hell but this mine is ours and we will take it. We have communicated with the ZMDC and we are now waiting for them to speed up the takeover process and the mine would be ours very soon.”
He said there was no reason for the Government to negotiate with the mine’s management when other mines had complied with provision of the indigenisation policy.
“Mining companies such as Anglo-American, Rio Tinto, Mwana Africa, Metallon Gold Zimbabwe and Mimosa Mine are some of the mining companies that have agreed to be part of this Government initiative. Who is Vumbachikwe after all?”
“There are so many ways of dealing with such issues and we will put pressure where it deserves. Some people have been milking our resources for decades and they still think that they can continue doing that.
“The fact that the mine’s authorities are Zimbabwean not foreigners is not an excuse and that will not stop us from taking over the mine,” said Minister Kasukuwere.
The Governor and Resident Minister for Matabeleland South, Angeline Masuku, who also attended the signing ceremony, said it was sad that some companies did not want to share yet they had been looting the country’s resources for a long time.
“Without empowerment, people are dead. Those who still think they can continue to exploit our resources alone are wrong because we will not accept it. We are asking for a mere 10 percent to develop when we should be demanding 100 percent.
“Those who are interested in working with us are welcome but those who are not interested should leave. Local people in the communities live in abject poverty and have to rely on the Government food handouts every year when they have the capacity to fend for themselves,” said Governor Masuku.
At the Gwanda CSOS/T launch last month, President Mugabe warned companies that did not want to be part of the scheme, saying they would end up with nothing.
President Mugabe said foreigners, especially from Europe, had exploited the country’s natural resources for centuries without developing the country and the time had come for the practice to stop.
He bemoaned the environmental degradation caused by the foreign companies while extracting the country’s minerals and said future generations would condemn and blame the country’s leaders for the eyesore that did not benefit the country.
Online Reporter