via ‘Top politicians looting gold mine claims’ – DailyNews Live 17 July 2014
HARARE – Top politicians in President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF have been accused of seizing the majority of gold mine claims from small-scale miners in Mashonaland Central Province.
This emerged in Shamva during a tour by Parliament’s portfolio committee on Mines and Energy which started on Tuesday and is ending tommorrow.
The committee, chaired by Zanu PF MP Lovemore Matuke, is on a countrywide outreach programme to understand the operations of large-scale and small-scale gold operations and their impact on local communities.
Small-scale miners complained that most of their mines and claims were being taken over by powerful politicians.
Headman Kanengoni, one of the small-scale miners, complained bitterly about the expropriation.
He was supported by a number of small-scale miners, who claimed that they had taken over the mines from returning German nationals but were now being dispossessed by powerful politicians.
“We have senior politicians in the province coming to take over our gold claims, saying they have been given permits to mine by the ministry of Mines,” Kanengoni said. “This is the case which is affecting us as small-scale miners.”
Matuke asked the miners to provide names of the politicians behind the hostile takeover, but the miners refused, fearing victimisation.
Speaking at the same meeting in Shamva, Zenzo Nsimbi, Metallon Gold Mine corporate affairs executive, said they were in the process of negotiating with government to delay the implementation of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act on the mine.
Metallon is owned by South Africa businessman Mzi Khumalo and employs 900 workers.
It produces 33 000 tonnes of gold annually.
“The company needs a lot of money through investing for it to continue operating as our South African investors have put in a lot of money to restart the mine when it was closed in 2009,” Nsimbi said. “We are currently in discussion with government over the Indigenisation Act to see how best to go about it.”
Nsimbi, a former Zimbabwe ambassador to Botswana, said $74 million was needed for the rehabilitation of the mine.
He said the mine was owed $24 million by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which he said if repaid could go a long way in helping the company to remain afloat. He said Metallon Gold was struggling to settle $10 million water and electricity bills and to bankroll salaries of workers.
Shamva Gold Mine has been operating since 1893, and was bought by Metallon in 2009.
It has five sister mining companies, namely Redwing in Mutare, How Mine in Bulawayo, Mazowe Mine and Arcturus Mine in Mashonaland Central Province and Arcturus.
COMMENTS
first it was the farms that were seized from their rightful owners – now it maybe the time for the gold miners to hand over their assets to the ZANu PF thieves – why are mines different to farms ?
” Metallon is owned by South Africa businessman Mzi Khumalo and employs 900 workers.
It produces 33 000 tonnes of gold annually.”
Silly reporting above – please get your numbers right before you go to print DAILY NEWS. Zimbabwe – the country – only produces 7 tons per annum
This is the problem with people who make serious allegations but refuse to give clear information for “fear of victimization”. How will those be confirmed? I know that in Insiza Matabeleland South old Khutshwekhaya Naison Ndlovu a Zanupf Senator has been fighting against some Langa brothers also fellow Zanupf looters over access to some whites for “partnership” and cash boosting. I know that at Esigodini it is those with political positions who are given mines as evidenced by a former Councillor Lusinga in the Bayethe/Mpisini area. If the Committe gets to these places people should not be afraid to expose these “chefs in looting and wealth amassing” that has destroyed wha.
33000 tons annually????????? Hahaaaaa Midas dreams.
Fort Knox doesn’t even hold anywhere near 33000 tons gold
Its also not true that Zimbabwe produces 7 tons annullly as the number is about double that at ~14 tons last year? But this story also betrays the ZanuPF double standards as we are being told here that the country’s largest gold producer is yet to comply with the country’s draconian empowerment law while others are forced to comply? One wonders what Mzi Khumalo has done to those in power?
Is anyone shocked? These thugs & their buddies from China are looting everything & pretending to be surprised that the economy is in shambles.
grabbing businesses, farms,looting from the coffers mines what is next on the grabbing list with this thieving scumbag morons
about 7 tons officially about 48 tons unofficially the 41 tons goes to zanupf and under the carpet deals.
ANC ZANU AND CO ARE PLUNDERING THEIR COUNTRIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE SAME policies . The only difference being one is more subtle than the other.
Only in Zimbabwe – We stole the mine from some Germans and now some minister (who shall remain unnamed) is illegally forcing us off the mine???????
These greedy thieving scumbag morons probably when they hear that a mine is producing they grab it from the owner e.g. Disgrace Gucci’s son from herformer marriage the son was so greedy scaled a fence to threaten people and not use the gate the same applies to the businesses, farms they have grabbed . when read the article and said it can only happen where this Senile Greedy thieving Geriatric Moron is ruling
zimbabwe leading polical party is damaging the country zanu pf is corupt they chase white people now zimbabweans are suffuring and mugabe is selling country to chines