Small scale miners decry Exclusive Prospecting Orders
Small to medium scale miners have appealed to President Mnangagwa to scrap a mining law that protects holders of large tracts of land under the Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPOs) amid revelations that a few elites have such certificates while new prospective miners are struggling to obtain new mining claims.
Speaking during a Presidential interface meeting with small to medium scale miners from across the country under the banner, Miners for ED in Gweru yesterday, the body’s national coordinator, Mr Rodrick Mum biresaid a few elites were holding on to EPOs that give them exclusive rights to control large tracts of land of up to 35 000 hectares with the majority of prospective miners left with no land to search for gold and other minerals.
President Mnangagwa in Gweru
“Your Excellency, Sir, we now have a problem in the mining sector which is affecting your vision of achieving a US$12 billion mining economy. This is because we now have few elites who obtained EPOs and these EPOs give them exclusive rights to control huge areas of land of up to 35 000 hectares by an individual,” said Mr Mumbire.
He said most of these areas remain idle as the majority struggle to obtain mining claims.
“This is the situation that has affected our mining, Your Excellency, one person holding on to over 35 000 hectares, this is unacceptable and needs your urgent attention,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said Government will look into concerns of the miners with the view of correcting the anomalies.
He said miners were the rightful advisers to inform decision making in mining so were farmers when it comes to farming.
“We have heard of your concerns and I will ask the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to look into the matter. I think they are already aware of what you have just said. You are the ones on the ground so you are the most affected so we take decisions informed by you as miners,” said President Mnangagwa.
US Dollars
He said small to medium miners contribute 60 percent of the total gold output in the country hence their importance in the growth of the economy.
“We are achieving the US$12 billon mining economy and at the core of this achievement are small scale miners who contribute 60 percent of that. So when you said you wanted an interface meeting with the President, I could not give excuses, I had to come despite the fact I came back from Angola very late. We have to support you and appreciate the work you are doing as miners in contributing to the growth of our economy,” he said.
The President said he was happy that there was peace among artisanal miners with the issues to do with violent machete gangs now a thing of the past.
“Under the Second Republic, we have said ‘no’ to violence in the mining sector, we must mine in harmony, if there is a gold rush at (Minister Oppah) Muchinguri’s mine claim we don’t want issues where you go there wrestle her out of her mine and start mining yourself, this should not be tolerated. We want respect, we must mine in peace and harmony,” he said.
The President said Government was also supporting women in mining.chronice
