KWEKWE Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) faces collapse owing to a month-long forced closure of its major mining operations at Primrose Mine by the Mines ministry.
Report by Blessed Mhlanga
Its other gold processing plant at Chaka Plant has been taken over by Zanu PF MP William Mutomba.
Primrose Mine was ordered to close down on February 11 by the Mines ministry following the death of a labourer Gift Ndebele (26) who allegedly slipped and fell into a 2,2m stamp mill discharge sump.
However, post mortem number 124-124-2013 on the death of Ndebele compiled by a Dr Pesanai of Bulawayo said the deceased had succumbed to poisoning.
KCGM general manager Emmanuel Nhamo said the closure of Primrose Mine for over a month was now threatening the very existence of the company and the future of over 150 workers and 550 small-scale miners contracted by KCGM.
“Primrose Mine and gold processing plant are the major sources of revenue which fund most of our operations, but are closed. The closure has seen our bills with Zesa, wages and salaries and rentals going up at a time there is no production,” Nhamo said.
He said the other major revenue source Chaka Plant Mine was under siege after Mutomba, through his Midkwe Company, seized it early last year despite a High Court order instructing him to vacate. Mine workers’ committee chairman Gerald Mavako said they had now gone for the first time without salaries and wages owing to the closure of the mine and accused regional mining engineer Noel Pasikwavaviri of trying to sabotage them.
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“It is now clear Ndebele’s death was not caused by a work-related accident and as workers, we have been trying to get in touch with Pasikwavaviri so that he tells us why he is forcing us out of work and punishing our families because now we are not getting paid since the company has no money outside production,” Mavako said.
Contacted for comment, Pasikwavaviri said it was not his duty to open closed mines, but refused to explain who had the authority to do so despite having ordered its closure through a letter dated February 11.
