Chrome Miners Urge Government to Renew Special Grants, Issue Leases
Chrome miners are calling on the government to renew the Special Grants (SGs) for miners who have been actively producing chrome, as well as to issue lease agreements to those already operating in reserved areas.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
This call comes as the mining sector seeks to align with the government’s Vision 2030, which aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy, with mining playing a pivotal role.
Speaking to Mining Zimbabwe, former Chrome Miners Association Chairman Shelton Lucas highlighted that many chrome miners have been rendered illegal due to the government’s decision not to renew SGs for those operating in reserved areas along the Great Dyke, where chrome deposits are concentrated.
“Most chrome miners have been affected by the government’s decision not to renew Special Grants. We have effectively been turned into illegal miners in our own country. Many chrome miners operate in the Dyke’s reserved areas, and they have been working under Special Grants. However, the renewal of these grants has been suspended, leaving most miners operating illegally,” he said.
The former Chrome Miners Association Chairman also noted that while Zimbabweans have been pushed out of the chrome industry, Chinese operators are now benefiting, which contradicts President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s mantra that the country is built by its citizens.
“On the other hand, the Chinese are benefiting because they are operating on tributaries from Mutapa Investment Fund-owned mining companies, such as Kuvimba’s ZimAlloys,” he said.
Lucas further emphasized that since Special Grants for mining are typically renewed every two years, the government should reconsider its position and support local miners by granting them mining leases.
This, he argued, would enable them to contribute significantly to Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, which recognizes the mining sector as a key driver of economic growth.
“We are calling on the government to consider granting leases to those who were already operating under Special Grants, in line with the mantra that the country is built by its citizens,” Lucas said.
The Vision 2030 strategy places a strong emphasis on opening up investment opportunities in the mining industry to both local and foreign players, ensuring that Zimbabwe’s natural resources are effectively utilized to drive the country’s economic transformation.
Granting mining leases to local chrome miners would be a step toward realizing this goal while empowering citizens to actively participate in the nation’s development.