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Columbus Mabika

Herald Reporter

THE Government has been urged to implement administrative gold sourcing and mining reforms in the artisanal mining sector to ensure traceability of minerals, curb criminal activities and violence associated with artisanal mining areas. 

The call comes after criminal activities by marauding gangs of machete attackers that have resulted in murder, rape, assault, housebreaking and stock theft throughout the country. 

Presenting a report to the joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Mines and Mining Development and Defence and Home Affairs, local environmental watchdog Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) called for tighter measures in the buying of gold saying the “no questions asked”, provision had fuelled violence in mining areas. 

“The Reserve Bank is buying gold on a no-questions-asked basis albeit not aligned to the Gold Trade Act. Instead of leveraging this moratorium to promote registration and formalisation of artisanal miners, chaos, conflict and criminality are festering. 

“What it means is that one can use violence or even kill to secure gold and easily dispose it at Fidelity Printers without any questions being asked. 

“The know your client concept which allows traceability of gold has been set aside,” said ZELA director Mr Shamiso Mutisi. 

Mr Mutisi said Government should speed up the establishment of a mining system which provides efficient and transparent management of minerals licenses, leases and permits consistent with the mining and quarrying laws of Zimbabwe.

“Efforts by Government to modernise the mining cadastre system have remained fruitless. The system in use is prone to manipulation and mistakes leading to double allocation of claims resulting in disputes. 

“The disputes can easily lead to violence as people fight to secure access to prolific gold areas,” he said. 

He said crimes remained rampant in artisanal mining as many people who were left jobless because of the effects Covid-19 had turned to mining as a source of income. 

“The pandemic has left many people jobless. As a result, many are now venturing into mining for the quick buck that they can get. 

However, mining is capital intensive as a result some venturing into the sector are opportunists who do not have claims, this will result in conflict as they force themselves on what is not theirs,” he said. 

He hailed ZRP’s “Operation Chikorokoza Chapera” which effectively dealt with machete wielding gangs. 

“The situation has normalised and we appreciate efforts by ZRP which resulted in 57 000 people being arrested for violence in artisanal mining areas,” he said. 

Mr Mutisi also called for tougher action to curb illicit gold exports and trade and urged Government to formalise the artisanal mining.