The Mines and Mining Development Minister, Winston Chitando has reiterated Government’s intentions to recover all inactive mining concessions. He also indicated that four unnamed platinum concessions have not been exploited since the 1970s.
Chitando notified that owners of unused concessions have up to end of this month to develop them or lose them to Government. He said by 2023 all the four unused mining concessions should be operational. Chitando said:
What Mimosa has done for this hospital is commendable. I challenge its managing director, Mr Fungai Makoni, to consider developing another concession in Masvingo. We have four concessions for platinum lying idle with some undeveloped since 1970.
He said the Mines and Minerals Act demands that all concessions be paid for every year and that operations were expected to commence within a stipulated period after licensing.
Mimosa Mine holds six percent of platinum reserves only but is doing a great job. Other mines have reserves lying idle but they are not operational. We have given these companies up to 30 April to bring comprehensive plans over these concessions.
We use the ‘use it or lose it’ concept and we are going to revoke their licences through making use of the Mines and Mining Minerals Act.