RioZim loses 200 mine claim battle

RioZim Limited has been unsuccessful in its legal challenge against the Defence Ministry over 200 mining claims. 
The High Court dismissed RioZim's application, ruling it defective due to procedural issues. The company had sought to review the Defence Minister's decision, which declared their mining area a military cantonment zone, arguing this declaration was invalid and hindered their operations.
RioZim's claims involve 206 mining areas in Darwendale, Mashonaland West. The dispute arose after the Defence Ministry published a notice in August 2018 declaring the area a cantonment zone under the Defence Act, which RioZim argued was improperly applied. The company faced issues when it discovered that Falcon Resources and Rusununguko Nkululeko were mining on their claims, leading to a legal battle.

The High Court's decision hinged on the argument that RioZim's application was defective because it did not comply with necessary legal procedures, including proper authorization for the affidavit submitted. Justice Webster Chinamhora's judgment concluded that due to these defects, the case could not proceed and struck it off the roll with costs.