Investors must leave small-scale mining for locals: Rushwaya
The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) President Ms. Henrietta Rushwaya has said foreign investors must leave small-scale mining for the locals and there must be a law that categorises a small-scale miner by possessing 50 or fewer hectares of land.
Shantel T Chisango
Speaking at a peggers meeting held at ZMF headquarters in Msasa, Rushwaya stated that small-scale mining must be categorised by having 50 hectares and below, therefore investors must not be seen going into disputes with locals over land that is 50 hectares and below.
“We would appreciate it if the government sets a law that recognises a small scale miner by possessing 50 hectares or less because we have had challenges of people coming from outside ( foreign investors) but lots of disputes over land that is 50 hectares or less have been recorded,” said Rushwaya.
She added that there is a need to make small-scale mining a preserve for local indigenous Zimbabweans so that we minimise the level of disputes among locals.
During the meeting, Rushwaya said the small-scale miner is not in the Mines and Mineral Act, when the law was implemented it did not involve small-scale miner, so whatever Rural District Councils (RDC) and the Mines Ministry propose or say, it will be addressing mining in general.
She, therefore, proposed that the constitution must be amended with regard to the small-scale miner and that the law must include a small-scale miner in the Constitution which will make it easier to address the challenges being faced by small-scale miners.
She stated that when small-scale miners come with challenges to the government they are not quickly addressed because they are not in the constitute, hence the need to include them in the Mines and Mineral Act.
The meeting was attended by the president of Zimbabwe Prospectors Association (ZPA) Mr. Frank Chatyoka and his executive board members, and peggers from Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, and also from Harare.