Miners stranded as Bindura provincial office closes for a meeting
Miners and prospective miners across Mashonaland Central Province were left stranded at the Bindura Mines and Mining Development offices as the Provincial office closed for a meeting at 12 pm today.
The miners, some coming as far as Muzarabani a distance of over 200km from Bindura, received the shock of their lives when they visited the office only to find it closed with no prior notification.
According to the miners who were stranded at the office not knowing what to do, the office did not write any notice to miners informing them that the office will be closed early today.
“We came as far as Muzarabani just to find that the Mines office is closed. How can we work like that, at least they should have notified us that the office will be closed today,” the miners said.
“Imagine going to a supermarket or bank only to be told they have closed for a meeting. That’s seriously undermining us, yet we play a pivotal role in foreign currency generation in the country,” said another lamented.
When contacted by this publication, the Mashonaland Central Deputy Provincial Mining Director Mrs Mitchell Ngadya said the offices were closed because they were conducting a meeting.
“We are not allowed to speak to the Media but we were closed because we were having a meeting,” she said.
As the country is headed towards the deadline of the 12 billion dollar mining industry it is not clear why a whole Mines office opted to completely stop business instead of using skeletal staff until their meeting was concluded.