Youth engage Zacc over corruption in mining sector

YOUTHS from Matabeleland South have called on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) to tackle corruption within the mining sector as it was hindering young people from benefiting from minerals found in the province.

This was raised by youths during a Zacc miners indaba organised by the Community Youth Development Trust (CYDT) in Gwanda on Wednesday.

Speaking during the meeting CYDT director, Ms Sichasisile Ndlovu said the province was endowed with minerals which could empower youths from the province but this was not happening because of a number of reasons, among them corruption.

She said some statutes which had been put in place were making it difficult for youths to venture into mining.

“We saw it best to invite Zacc and other stakeholders in order to tackle the problem of corruption within the mining sector which is making it difficult for youths to benefit. We appeal to Zacc to come to the ground and investigate some of these cases of corruption so that the culprits can be brought to book.

“There are some statutes which are making it difficult for youths to venture into mining such as Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPO) as 95 percent of land in Matabeleland South Province is under EPO’s leaving just five percent. This leaves little mining land available for youths who want to venture into small scale mining. When youths wishing to venture into mining visit the office of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, they are told there is no land available for prospecting. We invited Zacc so that it can capture and document issues of concerns and suggestions that will be raised during this indaba with the hope that they will be deliberated on by relevant authorities,” she said.

Speaking during the same meeting youth representative, Mr Shelton Maphosa said the youths from Matabeleland South embarked on a campaign in 2018 to fight corruption in the mining sector. He said youths were trained on how to be whistle blowers, identify and report corruption cases and to document corruption cases.

He said under the campaign they were also encouraging communities to report cases of corruption within the mining sector, especially those which involved prominent people. Mr Maphosa said existing regulatory framework was making it difficult for young people to regularise their mining activities hence it needed to be revised.

Miners from the province who attended the meeting also spoke on the challenges they faced in their operations as a result of corruption from law enforcement agents and Ministry of Mines and Mining Development officials.

Zacc manager for research and knowledge management, Dr Onesmus Nyaude said the commission will compile a report which will be presented to their chairperson on concerns raised.

In attendance were Zacc representatives, miners, youths, residents, local authorities among other stakeholders.

The indaba was held under the theme “Re-affirming our commitment to fight corruption in Matabeleland South Province”.