Chitando ordered to bring a ministerial statement on special mining leases awarded
Mines Minister Winston Chitando has been requested to bring a ministerial statement detailing the criteria being used to award special mining leases and how much Zimbabwe has received from them so far.
Zimbabwe has been awarding special mining leases to foreign companies from China and Russia among other things.
However, there has not been any tangible benefit that the country has realized from the leases.
This has prompted Harare East legislator Tendai Biti to implore Parliament to order Minister Chitando to explain the criteria.
‘’I rise on a point of national interest which pertains to the issue of special mining leases which are provided for under the Mines and Minerals Act, Chapter 21:03. These special mining leases in terms of Section 139 say these are huge investments that require a lot of money, say a minimum of US$100 million but you find that these special mining leases are now being granted to people that do not have money.
‘’They are now being distributed like cakes at a wedding. I am talking of the platinum leases like the one given to the Russian company, DGI which has stopped operating at the moment.
‘’These special mining leases are now too numerous. Another example is that of Manhize in Chivi where there is the mining of iron ore. Manhize was giving iron ore resources of 43 billion metric tonnes but no money has come to Zimbabwe.
‘’It hurts because we are mortgaging our country with these special leases and at the end of the day, Zimbabwe receives nothing. I request the Minister of Mines to come and give a statement on special mining leases that he has given from 2018 to date; how much money he has raised from them; what was the criteria used in awarding licences; what investments have been done by such mines and why he did not come before Parliament for us to be in a position to grant those mining leases because Zimbabwe is now being impoverished.
‘’I want Honourable Chitando to come and give us a report. Zimbabwe belongs to its own people, and we should not sell it,’’ he said.
In her ruling, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tsitsi Gezi promised that Parliament will forward the request to the minister. ‘’Thank you Honourable Biti. We have heard you and the message will be conveyed to Honourable Chitando to come and make a Ministerial Statement in response to the issues you have raised,’’ she said.
Chitando ordered to bring a ministerial statement on special mining leases awarded
