25 000 small scale miners lose claims since November

25 000 small scale miners lose claims since November

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By Staff Reporter

THE Zimbabwean government’s Operation Chikorokoza Chapera has resulted in the closure of nearly 25 000 small scale registered mining claims, affecting the livelihoods of close to 2,5 million people, the Zimbabwean Miners Federation
said Tuesday.

The miners said legal mining claims have been closed since November and it would take up to April to have them opened due to a range of policy shifts by the government.

The government says Operation Chikorokoza Chapera is designed to stop the illegal plunder of the country's mineral resources.

The Zimbabwe Mining Federation’s (ZMF) Chief Executive Officer Wellington Takavarasha said for the miners to go back to work, “they have to do an environmental impact assessment report for claims/mines registered from 17 March 2003 to current and an environmental management plan for claims registered from 17 March 2003 and below.”

Takavarasha said the small scale miners are also required to "comply with the Mines and Minerals Act, Environment Management Act and statutory instruments 6, 7 10 and 12 of 2007.”

Small scale miners, some of whom are illiterate, told a parliamentary committee last week that they were ignorant of the requirements until after their claims were shut down by the police.

The ZMF CEO has urged its members to hold workshops for the purposes of educating the miners so that they comply with the law.

Since 2005, the Zimbabwean government has launched four unpopular operations that have affected millions of people and drawn the attention of the United Nations.

Operation Murambatsvina -- a government crackdown on unplanned housing -- resulted in the destruction of people’s homes and businesses, with the United Nations saying 700 000 people were left homeless.

The government followed that crackdown with two operations last year, one to confiscate grain for delivery to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) and a currency change that resulted in a police roadblocks and confiscation of large amounts of cash at check points.
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