The Zimbabwe government says it has started reviewing mining claims 
awarded in the past and will soon move to repossess all claims that are not being used or were “improperly awarded” to undeserving applicants.

Addressing journalists during a Ministerial retreat in the resort town of Victoria Falls, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu said the review process and the claims seizures likely to follow were part of 
recovery measures to be unveiled in a government policy document soon.

Mpofu said the measures were in line with government’s desire to see the mining sector, now battered and on its knees, revived and helped to reclaim its position as a leading contributor to the country’s foreign currency earnings.

“We are engaging all stakeholders to . . . deliberate on issues bedevilling the sector so that, together, we can mobilise and share the necessary resources.

“We are reviewing all claims issued to people 
or potential miners to see if they are being put to productive use. 
“We are aware that many undeserving cases took advantage of the rampant corruption in the Ministry to win claims which they continue to hold for speculative purposes,” Mpofu 
says.

In a move that is likely to set the Zimbabwe government up against hordes of small-scale miners who used the indigenous empowerment 
crusade and Zanu-PF party tickets to win 
concessions in the past eight years, Mpofu said government would not consider whether one was a local or a foreigner in this crusade.

“We are currently studying all such claims and we will soon begin repossessing them 
for redistribution to deserving, serious miners or those that demonstrate that they want to go into mining,” Mpofu said.

He said the Ministry was also shaking up staff at its licensing offices following a barrage of complaints about corruption, mainly the demanding of kickbacks in return for the processing of licence applications.

“As a consequence of this, we have either 
recalled or transferred some of our mining commissioners [to assure] people of the seriousness of our thrust in revamping the mining sector, which is key to the turn-
around of the country’s economy,” Mpofu 
said.

He told Mining Weekly that this had nothing to do with the implementation of the 
indigenous laws, which sent jitters across the industry, especially the proposal to award a mandatory 51% stake in all foreign mining ventures to locals.


Although he could not give the number of claims targeted in the exercise, he said the review process was being undertaken 
in full consultation with all stakeholders in the mining industry, such as the Chamber of Mines, small-scale miners’ associations and other relevant bodies.

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