BULAWAYO (miningweekly.com) – Zimbabwe says it has already started reprocessing mining claims awarded in the past and will soon move to repossess all those that are not being utilised 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 process of reviews and the concession seizures which were likely to follow, were part of a raft of sector recovery measures which would 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 share and 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 said.

In a move that is likely to set the government up against hordes of small-scale miners which used the indigenous empowerment crusade and Zanu-PF party tickets to win concessions in the past eight years, Mpofu said the 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 serious mining business,” Mpofu said.

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

“As a consequence of this, we have either recalled or transferred some of our mining commissioners so as to give confidence to the people about the seriousness of our thrust in revamping the mining sector, which is key to the turnaround of the country's economy,” Mpofu said.

He told Mining Weekly Online 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 for the exercise, he said the current review process was being done 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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