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NewsDay

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#AMHVoices: Bindura Ran Mine employees resist eviction

AMH Voices
Bindura town came to a standstill as residents and employees of Ran mine staged a rare protest against pending evictions by insensitive new owners of the Mine.

Bindura town came to a standstill as residents and employees of Ran mine staged a rare protest against pending evictions by insensitive new owners of the Mine.

Ran mine was formerly owned by Globe and Phoenix private limited. When the mine closed the owners didn’t give terminal benefits to employees but simply promised to pay on reopening. Employees were advised to stay put at their residence providing security to Mine property waiting for the opening of the Mine. 18 years latter a perceived new owner who is operating under the name of the old owners( Globe and Phoenix private limited.), claims to have bought the mining claim and has now served an eviction notice to residents. The notice expires on 31 December 2018.

Newly elected Ward 2 Councillor,Ian Makone was agitated by the malicious intentions of the new owners. The revolutionary leader held a series a meetings with local leadership including, the District Administrator(DA), Minister of State and the Member of Parliament of Bindura North trying to seek Justice for the affected families. The meetings failed to yield results as the arrogant leadership refused to come to the rescue of the poor evictees.

The councillor was left with no option but to lead the affected residents to the DA’s office in protest . The DA is the gatekeeper of the district and has power to give conditions to investors. Some of the conditions the residents want prescribed are

-If ever the mine is to resume operations then the residents of Ran mine most of whom have experience must be given the right of first refusal of any employment opportunity. -the unlawful evictions notice which expires 31 December 2018 be stopped forthwith. -That the right to eduction of the more than 300 pupils at Ran mine primary be respected.

Bindura Ward 2 Sustainable Development Trust, (Bindura Ward 2 SDT), notes that the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra has left the poor vulnerable to exploitation by greedy Capitalists. The fate befalling the Ran Mine residents is synonymous with the predicament that befell Mhangura and Acturus Mine former workers.

It is a shame that the same Globe and Phoenix Company which left the Mine without paying terminal benefits is now back masquerading to be a different company. The so called new owners including, Mr Andrew Dutoit and some Mr Fuller are known to be fronts of the same company elsewhere in Zimbabwe and Africa in General.

In 2014 the company made headlines as they marketed their begging bowl, seeking US $3 million for a venture in Kwekwe. Now that they failed to secure the loan they are targeting the poor to manage their balance sheet.

Bindura Ward 2 SDT warns the relevant authorities and Globe and Phoenix that the era of extorting the poor is coming to an end. As a trust we stand ready to defend our own residents from machinations of Capital. Ours is now a class struggle. Our members at Ran Mine are ready to work for the so called new owners, if they are not allowed they will defend their livelihoods by any means necessary.

Find attached, pictures, videos and petition for today’s protest.

Bindura Ward 2 Sustainable Development Trust Publicity. +773013300/785199341