Small scale and artisanal miners have been urged to embrace and prioritise the development and growth of the communities they are operating in as a way of giving back to the community.
Rudairo Dickson Mapuranga
Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya made the call at the weekend where she donated mining equipment and consumables that include compressors, generators and explosives to women miners in Insiza North.
The ZMF boss sourced equipment from friends and partners. The equipment is being distributed to miners across the country to help them mechanise their operations to maximize production as well as improve the formalisation of the sector leading to growth and development.
Small scale and artisanal miners are playing a leading role in economic turnaround and development accounting for an average of 60 percent of gold and chrome submissions in the country.
Ms Rushwaya said miners should not leave the role of community development to District Administrators and Councillors but should be at the centre stage making sure that community needs are met through their involvement.
She also urged miners to air their grievances and challenges in a formalised and organised manner so that their stories can be heard and addressed quickly and efficiently.
“As miners, we should develop our environment and communities, let was not leave the DA and Chiefs alone moving with community development agendas, let us be on the centre stage developing our communities.
“WhatsApp and Twitter will never bring development, engage the councillors, DA, local MPs and Senators because complaining and crying on social media will never give intended results, engagement is key towards development,” she said.
The ZMF boss also encouraged membership and the government to consider special interest groups such as women, youth and war vets in mining ventures.
She said that her organization was making recommendations to the government to make sure that mining assets that are being repossessed by the Government under the ” Use it or lose it” principle prioritized in distribution to war veterans and women.
Rushwaya also said that the Federation was engaging the government in an effort to have small-scale mining strictly reserved to locals.
