The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube Post Correspondent
ARTISINAL and small-scale miners in Manicaland have called for the speedy enactment of the new Mines and Minerals Bill, saying the move will help alleviate a plethora of challenges affecting their operations.
The Manicaland Miners Association hopes that the new bill will, among other issues, tackle the contentious issue of unused mining claims by speculative holders which should be allocated to small-scale miners.
MAA led by Mr Lovemore Kasha presented the challenges at the small-scale miners’ breakfast meeting held at a local hotel recently.
“According to Section 3(1) of the Gold Trade Act, Chapter 201:03, dealing in gold without a licence is a criminal offence, thus artisanal miners still face many arrests from that piece of legislature.
“A temporary permit for artisanal miners should be made and the registration process should not be burdensome as this will just force them to operate illegally and resort to selling gold on the black market. There is need for clarity since the decriminalisation and formalisation processes are still confusing for artisanal miners and the law enforcement agents.
“The new Act should also tackle the issue of mining versus agriculture land disputes which still remain problematic.
“We also want a clear position on the feasibility of the mining cadastre system meant to ensure the digitalisation of mining in order to avoid double pegging of land. We need to know when this is going to happen,” said Mr Kasha.
