Town clerk, perm sec get council mines

BULAWAYO City councillors yesterday authorised Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube to mine at a council-owned farm, putting to rest a matter that had dragged for months with questions being raised regarding his initial application for the gold mining claim.

Ironically, the councillors chose to strike off the mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo who had also been shortlisted to get a mining claim at council-owned Good Hope Farm.

Mr Dube, through his company Belmac Investments, was awarded mining claims that are located at Aisleby Farm. He will share the claim with BDP Investments.

Clr Moyo lost out to Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing permanent secretary, Engineer George Mlilo and Mr Mngane Ncube who jointly won the claims at Good Hope Farm.

In the initial recommendation that was tabled before the councillors at yesterday’s full council meeting that was held at the council chambers, each of the two farms had been allocated to four individuals or companies.

However, in the ensuing debate it was felt that the farms were too small to each accommodate four mining companies, hence the reduction to two companies each.

“One thing which I must emphasise is that we had a lot of applicants to these claims but if you know the geographical setup of those two farms you might know that they are quite small hence we can’t really award the claims to four companies as those in the mining business will tell you it’s a huge risk hence the need to have a larger mining space to increase one’s success probability.

“We must not forget that as council we were under pressure to award these claims because there are a lot of illegal panners who are operating there hence the need for us to get people to mine there so we also benefit through their paying of rates and rentals,” said Ward 7 Councillor, James Sithole.

Clr Silas Chigora of Ward 4, reiterated Clr Sithole sentiments noting that while it would appear unfair to others that they had cut the list of companies to just two per farm, it was part of life that in any competition not everyone wins.

“It is like when one is getting married, they would have many other possible candidates but they choose one. It is a part of life, now what we are supposed to do is support these companies we have awarded these claims and see to it that the city benefits,” said Clr Chigora.

According to the latest council report, 33 applicants expressed interest in taking up the claims at the two farms.

However, just 19 were responsive, with the list being reduced to the eight that were presented before council yesterday.

At Good Hope Farm the claims were initially awarded to Clr Moyo, Eng Mlilo, Mr Ncube and Nokuthanda Masuku, while at Aisleby Farm the claims had been awarded to Mr Dube’s Belmac Investments, BDP Investments, BCC rangers and Nomathemba Tshuma.

The issue raised dust earlier this year when Mr Dube was barred from taking up the gold claim by councillors saying the mining should benefit the city and not an individual.

The councillors suggested the mine should be advertised through the invitation of interested parties to bid for the project.

The local authority is on record saying mining is not council’s core activity, but its main role is to provide an enabling environment for business, including mines to thrive, hence they were not going to take up mining as a possible venture. — @vusadb