Court cancells Royrama Mining Syndicate license
THE Supreme Court has ended a long-standing ownership wrangle of Mashona Queen 3 Mine in Mkaradzi, Mt Darwin, after the apex court upheld the mining commissioner’s decision to cancel Royrama Mining Syndicate’s license.
Royrama Mining Syndicate had been refusing to vacate the mining area owned by Bindura South legislator Cde Remigious Matangira (Zanu PF), resulting in several physical confrontations over the past decade.
The High Court had initially reversed the Mining Commissioner’s decision to cancel Royrama Mining Syndicate’s mining rights, which prompted Cde Matangira to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Luke Malaba, sitting with judge of appeal Justice Tendai Uchena and acting judge of appeal Justice George Chiweshe, set aside the High Court’s decision and dismissed the declaratory order with costs.
Royrama Mining Syndicate and had been at loggerheads with Cde Matangira for over a decade while claiming to be legitimate owners of the gold mining area. The wrangle started in September 2011 when the syndicate pegged two blocks of gold claims in Mkaradzi area known as Corotin B and Corotin C on State land.
On September 6, the two gold claims were registered under the Mines and Minerals Act in the name of the Royrama Mining Syndicate – a partnership involving Adonis Marere, Roy Makumbe and Rabson Gradge.
Cde Matangira, who had mining claims at a nearby piece of land approached Marere, Makumbe and Gradge claiming that Crotin A and B belonged to him, having registered them in 1986.
Irked by Cde Matangira’s claim, the syndicate approached the Mining Commissioner, who indicated that the blocks were not registered when they were allocated in 2011.
Cde Matangira defied the Mining Commissioner’s assertions and started advancing into the mining area, marking the beginning of a protracted mining wrangle. On November 8, 2011, the syndicate approached the Mt Darwin Magistrates Court seeking a peace order and an interdict barring Cde Matangira from disturbing their mining activities.
The court ruled in favour of the syndicate on December 29 after Matangira allegedly failed to produce his mining certificates in court. Herald