HUMAN rights defender Farai Maguwu (pictured) has called on the government to demilitarise the mining sector as interference by the members of the armed forces is curtailing growth of the industry.
by TERRY MUTSVANGA
Speaking at a District Alternative Mining Indaba (DAMI) in Penhalonga near Mutare this week, Maguwu, who is the director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance, said militarisation of the mining sector was doing a disservice to the country.
“Soldiers have to stay in the barracks and leave the mining business to miners. The country lost about $15 billion as a result of financial outflows and senior army officers were involved in the mining and smuggling of the diamonds at Chiadzwa,” he alleged.
Maguwu said the Platinum deal between the government and the Russians would not benefit the ordinary person serve for the military and Russians.
“The Platinum deal is not going to benefit us in terms of Human development but it’s a military deal which will see the Zimbabwe government getting weapons from the Russians .This has to be reversed and transparency has to be promoted if the country is to benefit,” he said.
Maguwu, however, called for the total inclusion of women in the mining sector as this was crucial for development.
“Women should be supported to venture into mining and those who are already into mining should be capacitated either by supporting them with loans and other equipment necessary towards the growth of their claims,” he said.
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Darwendale in Mashonaland West has massive platinum deposits. President Robert Mugabe led a ground breaking ceremony in 2015 which marked the signing of a mining deal between the Russians and the Zimbabwe government.
However, conditions of the deal including the benefits that the country would realise have not been made public ever since thus raising ‘eyebrows’ with regards to transparency issues.
The DAMIs being hosted by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), are aimed at capacitating communities that have mineral wealth and Penhalonga is one of the areas that the initiative was focusing on. Issues imparted by ZIMCODD include the promotion of accountability, transparency and environmental management.
