Hwange community to benefit from mining firms

Government is set to launch the Hwange Community Share Ownership Trust a development that will see the local community getting a 10% stake in the coal mining firms.

The community share ownership trust will be launched next week in Matabeleland North where other district community share trusts in the same province are expected to be commissioned.

Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister Saviour Kasukuwere says the money accrued from the community trusts will be utilised for rural development programmes which effectively means communities will now be deriving maximum benefits from their mineral wealth.

"Matabeleland North, Masvingo, Mashonaland Central and East provinces are the remaining provinces that are still to have the community share ownership trusts.

"We are also saying community share ownership trusts are being run professionally by boards and communities have already started benefiting. We also have developed youth zones across the country for the youth to benefit from the various programmes," he said.

Several community share ownership trusts have been launched to date which include the Chegutu, Mhondoro-Ngezi Zvimba Trust, the Gwanda Trust, Shurugwi Trust, Zvishavane Trust and the Marange-Zimunya Community Share scheme.

So far, community development projects have been established through funds that the community share ownership trusts have received from the mining companies.

The Zvishavane Community Share Trusts board has already constructed a primary school from the money provided by Unki Mine.