Govt sets up Peace Mine Board of Trustees

THE Government has set up a Board of Trustees composed of traditional leaders to oversee the running of Peace Mine Turtle 54 in Silobela area.

The new Board of Trustees will be headed by Chief Malisa on a rotational bases. Other members are Chiefs Ruya, Govo and Sigodo working together with Silobela district administrator, the Silobela Rural District Council chief executive officer and chairperson.

The mine has since been changed to Silobela Community Share Ownership Trust with the DA expected to oversee the registration process.

Introducing the new Board of Trustees in Silobela, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Walter Chidhakwa said the mine should re-open soon after a mine manager seconded from the ZMDC starts working. The chiefs, he said, will be taken to the Zvishavane Community Share Ownership Trust for induction this week.

“We now have a new board of trustees of the four chiefs led by Chief Malisa. The chiefs will take turns to chair the board. While the chiefs head the board of trustees, they won’t interfere with the running of the mine. They will wait for monthly reports from the mine manager who is coming in from ZMDC,” he said.

“Time for fighting is over, we want peace and production at the mine for the development of Silobela and the country at large.”

Minister Chidhakwa said a team of experts would be visiting the mine to assess if it is safe to commence operations.

“We have heard that it is not safe to work underground after the pillars were vandalised. Now a technical team is going to go underground and will come up with a report and also a bill of quantity,” he said.

The development was arrived at after an intense meeting between the warring parties and a four-member ministerial member team led by Minister Chidhakwa. The minister urged the villagers to unite and work together and desist from fighting over the mine as they now own it.

Peace Mine was part of Mwana Africa before it was signed as an attribute agreement and given to the community. However, Mr Arthur Nkiwane, who assisted in registering the mine, took over control sparking a long standing dispute with the Silobela community.

Minister Chidhakwa recently told the villagers that the days of Mr Nkiwane running the mine as chairperson were over. — @pchitumba1