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the claims they cannot exploit, a senior official has said.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy yesterday, Mines and Mining Development permanent secretary, Mr Thankful Musukutwa said the big companies had no capacity to exploit all their claims.

He said of the 10 billion tonnes worth of reserves in Zimbabwe, Zimasco and ZimAlloys owned about 80 percent which they have not been able to service.
The committee is chaired by Guruve South legislator, Cde Edward Chindori-Chininga.
“In assessment these people won’t be able to mine the hectrage in the near future. If they keep the land it will lie idle for many years.

“We are currently working on a paper to make those companies relinquish some of the claims so that they can be taken by people who want to mine,” he said.
Mr Musukutwa said Government was also concerned with the way big mining companies were manipulating small-scale miners.
“As a Ministry we have looked at the plight of small-scale miners who are not realising benefits from the local market.

“A tonne of chrome ore out of the country is US$140 but Zimasco says they want to pay US$83 per tonne and they are even saying they want to go further down to US$53. They (miners) won’t even get the US$53 because Zimasco will look at the grade and iron ore content which further reduces the price.
“As a Ministry, we are thinking of asking Cabinet to ratify price control for chrome ore. We haven’t worked it out but we think US$120 per tonne will be fair,” Mr Musukutwa said.

He said the ban on exportation of chrome ore was necessary as it helped Government to get beneficiation
“The ministry acknowledges that the ban of chrome ore exports far outweighs extending the exports window.

“Exportation of raw chrome will see only the miners benefiting while true value is transferred to other countries.
“Our children who are educated are not taken into the system because small scale miners want people who can work with pick and shovel.

“Two hundred tonnes of chrome ore will see us create about 200 jobs, thereby increasing revenue to the investor and the fiscus,” he said.
Mr Musukutwa also took a swipe at the Chinese whom he said were causing environmental degradation

“The way the Chinese are exploiting our ground is not right and we are not happy as a Ministry. The problem is that some of these Chinese are brought by people with claims, they then form syndicates and start mining while we don’t have a Chinese name in our records.”

He said his Ministry was incapacitated to execute its duties. Mr Musukutwa said there were no resources especially vehicles for regional commissioners.