Falcon Gold asked to release unused gold mining claims

MINING lobby group, the Zimbabwe Indigenous Miners Empowerment Association, has requested Government to order Falcon Gold Zimbabwe to release its unused gold mining claims to them.

In a letter to Mines and Mining Development permanent secretary Mr Prince Mupazviriho, Acting Secretary for Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Mr Godfrey Sigobodhla said the 5 000- member association had requested for mining rights in respect of unexploited claims held by Falcon Gold in Chakari.

In the letter, Mr Sigobodhla said the lobby group intended to allocate the gold mining claims to syndicates of 10 to 20 people per block.

"The Zimbabwe Indigenous Miners' Empowerment Association Zimbabwe Empowerment is requesting for these unused claims on the basis of the use it or lose it policy," read part of the letter.

Falgold said it was "reviewing" the request. Falgold owns 390 mining blocks in Chakari. "Please be advised that we have received correspondence, from our parent ministry," said Falgold. "We are currently reviewing such correspondence."

The Government recently adopted the "use it or lose it" policy to encourage those with mining claims to exploit them or surrender to those capable of executing operations. This was after the realisation that the bigger portion of the country's minerals were still unexplored.

Only 60 percent of Zimbabwe has been explored, according to Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Gift Chimanikire.

In an interview on Wednesday, Mr Cosmas Kaitano also said the association had also identified unused chrome claims in Guruve and Mutorashanga.

"This move is expected to create 3 000 jobs for artisanal miners," said Mr Kaitano. "Chrome mining has the potential to make meaningful contribution to the growth of the economy through revenue generation and employment creation." Mr Kaitano said big mining firms continued holding on to unused claims at the expense of indigenous miners.

"Bigger miners like Zimasco and Falcon Gold are reluctant to release unused lands and this is tantamount to sabotage within the mining industry," he said. "Chrome mining in Zimbabwe is mainly concentrated on the Great Dyke and it is estimated that the dyke hosts about 10 billion tonnes of unproven reserves, and almost 70 percent of these claims are in the hands of two companies.

The association was formed in May 2012 and has a membership of about 5 000 people comprising gold panners, small-scale miners, women, war veterans and unemployed youths.