News / National
Mugabe's war with small-scale miners rages on
17 Apr 2018 at 07:35hrs | Views
TWO Mazowe small-scale gold miners have once again taken former President Robert Mugabe's family business, Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, to court seeking to be declared the rightful owners of blocks of mines located at Smithfield Farm in the Mazowe area which they claim was under the jurisdiction of the Mines and Mining Development ministry.
The two miners, Shepherd Nyazvigo who is being represented by Phillip Makanya, through a power of attorney, and Bright Mawonga filed a court application on last Friday urging the court to rule in their favour saying they hold licenses to the claims in question. The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
"The first applicant (Nyazvigo) is the registered holder of blocks of mines being Mondo 4, and the second applicant (Mawonga) being the registered holder of certain block of mine being Mondo 3. The applicants' blocks of mines are located in Smithfield Farm in Mazowe area under the jurisdiction of the second respondent (Provincial Mining Director, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Mines and Mining Development)," the duo said in their combined founding affidavit.
"The first respondent [Gushungo Holdings] is claiming that it owns the farm on which the applicants' blocks of mine mentioned above are located and the first respondent is also claiming that they are the owners of the said blocks of mines.
"The applicants are seeking an order to be declared the rightful owners of the said blocks of mines and an order interdicting the first respondent from barring and or interfering with the applicants' operations in the said mining claims."
Sometime last month High Court judge Justice Davison Foroma ordered that the impasse between Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, and the same miners including their co-applicant, one Mohammed Rezwani Khan, should now be heard on an urgent basis.
The ruling by Justice Foroma followed a provisional order in January this year which ordered Mugabe off the farm to pave way for the three miners.
Justice Foroma granted Mugabe reprieve on March 14, 2018 after his lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, had filed an urgent application seeking to persuade the court to hear the matter, involving the gold rich farm, urgently.
In the current application Nyazvigo and Mawonga cited Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, provincial mining director, permanent secretary Mines ministry and Mines minister, Winston Chitando as respondents respectively.
The two miners, Shepherd Nyazvigo who is being represented by Phillip Makanya, through a power of attorney, and Bright Mawonga filed a court application on last Friday urging the court to rule in their favour saying they hold licenses to the claims in question. The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
"The first applicant (Nyazvigo) is the registered holder of blocks of mines being Mondo 4, and the second applicant (Mawonga) being the registered holder of certain block of mine being Mondo 3. The applicants' blocks of mines are located in Smithfield Farm in Mazowe area under the jurisdiction of the second respondent (Provincial Mining Director, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Mines and Mining Development)," the duo said in their combined founding affidavit.
"The first respondent [Gushungo Holdings] is claiming that it owns the farm on which the applicants' blocks of mine mentioned above are located and the first respondent is also claiming that they are the owners of the said blocks of mines.
"The applicants are seeking an order to be declared the rightful owners of the said blocks of mines and an order interdicting the first respondent from barring and or interfering with the applicants' operations in the said mining claims."
Sometime last month High Court judge Justice Davison Foroma ordered that the impasse between Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, and the same miners including their co-applicant, one Mohammed Rezwani Khan, should now be heard on an urgent basis.
The ruling by Justice Foroma followed a provisional order in January this year which ordered Mugabe off the farm to pave way for the three miners.
Justice Foroma granted Mugabe reprieve on March 14, 2018 after his lawyer, Advocate Thabani Mpofu, had filed an urgent application seeking to persuade the court to hear the matter, involving the gold rich farm, urgently.
In the current application Nyazvigo and Mawonga cited Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, provincial mining director, permanent secretary Mines ministry and Mines minister, Winston Chitando as respondents respectively.
Source - newsday
