ZMF encourages legal operations as ZRP nets more illegal miners
The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has called on miners to formalize their operations by adhering to the dictates of the law to avoid a situation where work is constantly being disrupted by law enforcement agents.
Rudairo Mapuranga
According to ZMF President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya, the Federation has a zero-tolerance mantra of no to illegal mining. She said that the organisation’s offices are open for everyone to come and get investment advice.
“As small-scale miners, we are saying it is a crime to mine illegally in the country. And we are saying zero tolerance to illegal mining. We should be seen as being associated with constructive and proper mining, constructive in the sense that our mining should be guided by principles as stated in the mines and minerals act. People are actually advised and allowed to come to our ZMF offices to find out how best they can be linked with proper mining houses and how best they get tributes from other registered miners,” Rushwaya said.
Since January this year, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) under the operation “No To Machete Gangs” aimed at restoring sanity in the ASM, the Police arrested close to 3000 people. Illegal Miners are mostly a target of criminals usually referred to as machete gangs who have been causing havoc in the ASM sector.
According to Police spokesperson Asst-Comm Paul Nyathi, the operation is ongoing and those that resist risk being arrested and face deterrent sentences as the police are in constant contact with the judiciary.
Machete-wielding criminals are notorious for pouncing on small-scale and artisanal miners stealing their gold or gold ore and smuggling processed gold to neighbouring countries like South Africa and Botswana through the country’s porous borders.
The police restored order in mining areas after taking the machete gangs head-on, arresting large numbers of people and thwarting a wave of violence that threatened to disturb gold mining and consequently deliveries to Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR).
Most of those arrested were fined since there was no evidence they had committed other criminal offences.
Those on the wanted list were sent to court for prosecution, facing various offences.
With the unemployment rate soaring and successive droughts immensely affecting subsistence farming in rural Zimbabwe, young people are resorting to a more lucrative alternative, artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).
Zimbabwe is said to have over 4,000 gold deposits, and the Parliament of Zimbabwe estimates that some 500,000 small-scale miners in the country support up to three million dependents.