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Sukoluhle Ndlovu Midlands Correspondent
Small-scale miners in the Midlands have urged the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to expedite the processing of operational certificates saying the delay was impacting negatively on production. According to the Mining Act, every miner is supposed to have a certificate to operate a mine. President the Confederations of Zimbabwe Miners (CZM), Mr Rangani Chauke said many small scale miners in the Midlands province are not mining despite having claims because they do not have the required certificates.

“The people from the Ministry are not doing their job. When one files an application for an operating certificate, a process which is supposed to take only two to three months, drags for two to three years. Many miners are as a result not mining because they do not have the certificates.

“I have lost more than two investors due such delays,” said Mr Chauke.

Another miner from Shurugwi, Mapato Gavure also said the process of issuing certificates was too slow and as such was affecting miners.

“Those people take their time and when you go to inquire from their offices they are never clear about what is taking place. All they say is they are still working on the applications. I submitted my application in 2015 and up to now l haven’t got any feedback from them, said Gavure.