THE Affirmative Action Group (AAG) — a local black empowerment lobby group — has partnered Munyukwa Chibanda mining syndicate with a view to empower youths in Mashonaland East by giving them a mining claim in Domboshava.
AAG vice president Munyaradzi Kashambe said they were going to provide the youths with equipment, while Munyukwa Chibanda, has given them the mining claim.
“Munyukwa Chibanda mining syndicate was given papers to start mining in Domboshava, a month ago. Recently, their gold output increased and attracted a lot of interest from different sectors. They then approached us saying they needed help and in return they said they were going to partner us. We called all chiefs in the area yesterday (Monday), we told them that they are going to get a Mining Community Ownership Trust.
“We also agreed that youths from the province’s nine districts are also going to get a mining claim, we want them to empower other youths back in their districts,” Kashambe said.
He further said they had also managed to solve some disputes at the mine, but did not specify the nature of the disagreements.
“Those who are disturbing the mining activities must stop. We have mines such as Unki, Zimplats and Freda Rebecca, but they are not disturbing them. Why are some people against black empowerment?
“The syndicate has started its corporate social responsibility as it has started constructing roads and clinics and is promising to do more. It is also taking its gold to Fidelity which is in line with what the president says that we must avoid leakages.”
This comes after AAG also recently threatened to take over disused mines and underutilised farms and redistribute them to youths.
Following a chaos and violent land reform programme spearheaded by the late former president Robert Mugabe at the turn of the millennium, Zimbabwe was left with vast tracts of underutilised fertile and mineral-rich land. Most of the resettled new indigenous farmers stripped these farms and mines of equipment and left them desolate.
Speaking during a media briefing in the capital recently Kashambe said they were currently engaging the Mines ministry over the issue of disused mines.
“We are not happy with some of the big mines which are not being used, big mines are just holding onto huge claims doing nothing.
“We want to appeal to the ministry of Mines to implement the ‘use it or lose it policy’, it’s already there. As AAG, we are working with the ministry to identify all these disused mines so that we take them and give them to our young people. The youth are eager to mine.
“Those in disused mines and underutilised farms must know that we are coming there to make sure that the laws are being followed,” Kashambe said.