The ManicaPost
Post Correspondent
THE Mutasa community and small-scale miners are set to benefit from the resumption of mining activities at Redwing Mine following the coming in of a new investor.
Prime Royal Africa Investment (Mining Division) has already started operations at the gold rich area.
Prime Royal chairman, Mr Stanley Motto, said the firm is working closely with local stakeholders and will seek to strengthen its Corporate Social Responsibility programmes to ensure interventions informed by community needs.
“When we came in, we took over a legacy debt and paid workers three months’ salaries. We also extended an invitation to the former workers to come on board before roping in the locals as well as youths, community groups and other stakeholders,” he said
Production manager, Mr Godknows Boman, said their operations are in full compliance with the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and Environment Management Agency regulations.
“We are engaging the community, traditional leaders and stakeholders because we now have a scope of the programme we will follow to mine sustainably. This programme will be the benchmark for EMA to monitor our operations.
“When we extract the gold, we will ensure that we effectively rehabilitate the land. We don’t want to leave open pits that will endanger both people and livestock’s lives,” said Mr Boman.
The company is also engaged in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes to map out an Environment Management Plan (EMP) for its full mechanised production open cast mining.
“We are complying with regulations as per the Mines and Mineral Act and the Environmental Management Act which obliges us to follow all due processes. This follows successful exploration activities in the past year which showed viable economic exploitation of gold deposits on our leased claim.
“The next phase of full mechanised surface mining will encompass areas mined out by illegal miners. As the project continues, we will focus on creating a fatality free environment guided by Occupational Health and Safety precautions, and only work in areas that can be safely exploited.
“Community and stakeholders will be continuously engaged in clusters for the whole life cycle of our mining operations like we recently did in the EIA process. We have already met Chief Mutasa to discuss community concerns,” said Mr Motto.
He said its model focuses on simultaneous environment reclamation and rehabilitation of mined out areas, closing and cordoning off work sites and controlling unaccounted pits.
“Operational sustainability hinges on compliance to legislation and regulations, full-scale production, and remitting revenue to the State through its various entities, like Fidelity Printers and Refineries (FPR), said Mr Motto.
