Chitando Not Fit To Be Mines Minister
The coming in of Mnangagwa as the president of the so-called Second Republic brought optimism and the feeling of relief such that everyone thought that the economic wheel was headed for success. The mining sector was largely trusted to be the leading economic resuscitator and many, both local and foreign investors rushed into the country to invest in the mining industry.
Almost all local and foreign investors who rushed in to invest in the country were hoping to either invest in the mining sector or at least watch the financial atmosphere as well as the performance of the sector in order to invest.
Winston Chitando who was appointed the minister of mines knew or at least ought to have known how important his ministry was towards the nation’s economic revival. He should have pushed for policies and reforms that were necessary for allowing investors to put in their money in the country.
Furthermore, the quietness of Chitando during Mthuli Ncube’s changes in policies willy nilly, without challenging him is an open fact that the minister is only concerned in being a minister and not a development and growth initiator.
The minister apart from keeping a chill and not fighting for his ministry, which the whole nation was looking upon for survival, went on to block local miners through blanketing all mining areas with EPOs.
Despite that EPOs are very important on paper for the country in the long run, it is important to note that, these EPOs are now being held for speculative purposes to deny the black indigenous miners of the right or chance to explore the resources in the ground.
Chitando should issue policies and measures that allow small scale miners to graduate from being small to medium and from medium to large scale miners, rather than blocking them so that all mining operations are placed in the hands of the Chinese who operate at an artisanal level.
Chitando is allowing Chinese artisanal miners to come into the country and at the same time blocking indigenous black miners who by the way are accounting for over 60 per cent of gold deliveries to the country’s gold buyer and exporter, Fidelity Printers and Refinery.
It is quite surprising though that the president is not seeing all that is happening.
EFF Zimbabwe
National Spokesperson
Rudairo Mapuranga
FULL TEXT: EFF Questions Winston Chitando's Fitness To Hold Mines Portfolio
