GOVERNMENT is set to host an all-stakeholders meeting next month to discuss how the various statutes that affect artisanal mining can be harmonised.
TARISAI MANDIZHA BUSINESS REPORTER
Mines and Mining Development deputy minister Fred Moyo said on Tuesday the five ministries whose mandates span across the mining sector — Environment, Water and Climate, Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Local Government, Urban and Rural Development, Finance and Economic Development and Home Affairs — would attend the meeting.
He said the Chamber of Mines, the financial services sector and small scale miners’ leadership among others were also expected to participate in the event. Moyo said artisanal mining was being driven in two fronts which were funding and formalisation of the various statutes that affected mining.
“On artisanal miners the project is being driven on two fronts, one is funding the other is formalisation of the various statutes that affects mining and at their areas is capacity building and skills training. We are pushing very hard on the funding and we hope that we will conclude this in the next two weeks,” he said.
Moyo said the chamber has pledged to see the success of the exercise by voluntarily giving support in the form of equipment while waiting for funding from the international community.
Moyo said the ministry was undergoing a restructuring exercise that will see the decentralisation of five mining districts into eight mining provinces. He said the restructuring was necessitated by the unprecedented increase in mining activities across the country, a move which calls for an equally unprecedented approach to doing business in the ministry.
Moyo said the major change in the approved new structure was decentralisation of the Mining Districts to two additional directorates at the headquarters, the abolition of the department of Mining Law Administration and the introduction of two principal directors.
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“The five mining districts have been decentralised to eight mining provinces as per eight rural administrative provinces to be headquartered at the eight provincial capitals Bindura, Marondera, Mutare, Chinhoyi, Masvingo, Gwanda, Lupane and Gweru. Any mining activities in the Metropolitan province of Harare will be taken care of by the Mashonaland East Mining Province,” Moyo said.
“Similarly any activities in the Metropolitan Province of Bulawayo will be taken care of by the Matabeleland North Mining Province.”
He said the latest structure approved by the Civil Service Commission has abolished the post of chief mining commissioner, mining commissioners and assistant mining commissioners.
