1,190 mining claims forfeited Walter Chidhakwa
Minister Walter Chidhakwa

Minister Walter Chidhakwa

Dosman Mangisi, Mining Correspondent
ABOUT 1,190 gold and diamond mining claims have been forfeited to the state in the Midlands province alone as of November 12, 2015.

This information is contained in a forfeiture notice No.2 of 2015 signed by acting Midlands provincial mining director, a K Mlangeni.

“The following mining locations have on this November 12, 2015 been forfeited in terms of section 260 of Mines and Minerals act (chapter 21:05) and will, subject to provisions of Section 31 and 35 of the said Act, be open to re-allocation on December 17, 2015 unless revoked on or before  December 3, 2015,” reads part of the notice.

The forfeited claims include gold (1,157) and diamond (31). Section 260 of the Mines and Minerals Act provides for forfeiture of mining claims upon failure to obtain an inspection certificate within a prescribed period unless granted a protection certificate.

According to a Ministry of Mines and Mining Development official gazette, a majority of the forfeited claims belonged to small scale miners.

Most claim owners failed to pay for mining fees or rentals to the government within stated periods.

The move by the government to merge all players in the diamond mining sector into a consolidated company has closed the door for small-scale miners who do not have capital to buy equipment.

Mines Minister Walter Chidhakwa has said the diamond consolidation process was at an advanced stage.

The cost of prospecting diamonds in the country has been pegged at about $1 million while the annual rate for rentals is $3,000 per hectare.

A claim of diamond is made up of 10 hectares, which means a miner needs to fork out $30,000 per year on rentals alone.

On gold it costs $350 to get a prospecting license and $200 for submission annually. The  depressed gold prices have resulted in many small-scale miners suspending operations. A gramme is trading at $33 at Fidelity Printers compared to $50 in 2010.

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