Source: Minerals Act fuels miners, farmers’ fights – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Leaders of the Women in Land Zimbabwe (WLZ) raised the issue when they appeared before the joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committees of Mines and Agriculture.

WLZ had petitioned Parliament about the land conflicts spawned by the archaic Mines and Minerals Act.

“What is happening is that there are people coming with mining permits and are disturbing farming activities. Farmers are not getting proper protection from the police and through the current laws, especially in Shurugwi where miners leave pits at farms and they endanger livestock and children,” she said.

Director of lands management and administration in the Lands and Agriculture ministry, Marias Dzinoreva, said the Mines and Minerals Act had certain provisions that gave precedence to miners ahead of farmers.

“We suggested that if a farmer is on their land and there is, for instance, gold; the first right of refusal should be given to the farmer because he has a right over the land. No farmer will be happy to see someone pegging a mine on their plot without being
informed.

“We also said where a miner starts operations on a farm, at the end of their operations they must rehabilitate the land and must not leave holes everywhere because livestock might fall in there,” he said.