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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
A WRANGLE over the ownership of Legion Gold Mine in Matobo district in Matabeleland South between a Bulawayo businesswoman, Mrs Siphiwe Gasha-Dube and a mining consortium, Turfwall Mining (Pvt) Ltd has exposed underhand dealings involving top officials in the Mines and Mining Development Ministry.

Mrs Gasha-Dube, who was evicted from five mining claims at Legion Mine a week ago following a fraudulently acquired court order, had been operating at the disputed mine for the past 16 years.

High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva last week suspended operations at the mine following an urgent chamber application by Turfwall Mining citing Mrs Gasha-Dube, police and the provincial mining director for Matabeleland South as respondents.

According to documents The Chronicle is in possession of, the businesswoman has been producing a substantial amount of gold as evidenced by the production of returns from Fidelity Printers and Refiners. Between 2003 and 2010, she produced 54,2kg of gold. Mrs Gasha-Dube is a nationally renowned gold miner having consecutively won a prize for the Best Female Small Scale Gold Miner of the Year in 2015 and 2016.

Mrs Gasha-Dube is accusing the former chief mining commissioner Mr Fredson Mabhena of extorting money from her profits for the past five years by acting as an agent for Turfwall Mining, the purported owners of the mining claims.

The businesswoman entered into a three-year tribute agreement with Turfwall Mining in December 2012 and was not aware that Falcon Gold had sold its claims in the Legion Mining area to Turfwall Mining.

“When I entered the tribute agreement in 2012, I was of the view that Turfwall Mining and Falcon Gold were sister companies and after the expiry of the agreement in December 2015, I continued paying royalties until September 2016,” she said.

Mrs Gasha-Dube said Mr Mabhena has been demanding five percent of the money realised from the gold sold at Fidelity Printers and Refiners, purporting to be acting on behalf of Turfwall Mining.

She said the reason why the transfer of the five claims she sought from Falcon Gold into her name never occurred was because Mr Mabhena abused his position at the Mines Ministry. She also accused Mr Mabhena of taking advantage of her status as a widow to exploit and milk her.

The dispute over the ownership of the mine came to a head when Mr Mabhena, allegedly, purporting to be acting on behalf of Turfwall Mining, proposed an upward variation in royalties. The money would be deposited into a Stanbic account registered under Ndibatsireyiwo Distributors.

“Mr Mabhena demanded 70 percent of my profits in royalties and I refused to give him. He then reduced it to 30 percent and I also refused as it would erode my profits in view of the operating costs,” she said.

Mrs Gasha-Dube said in 2010, the Mines Ministry promised her the claims.  “I started questioning the claim to title by Turfwall Mining of the claims which I have been previously tributing from Falcon Gold,” she said.

Mr Mabhena left the Mines Ministry and he is now employed by the Ministry of Rural Development, Preservation of Culture and Heritage as its legal affairs director.

Mr Mabhena distanced himself from the dispute, saying he never collected royalties on behalf of Turfwall Mining.

“When people have disputes they always find someone to blame. I’m not and was not in any way involved in the dispute. I don’t have a clear position regarding the dispute and what I know is that there was a tribute agreement between Turfwall Mining and Mrs Gasha-Dube,” he said.

In a letter dated February 22 this year and addressed to the principal director for mining technical services in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, the acting provincial mining director Mr Sokesimbone Lunga detailed the circumstances that led to the dispute.

In the letter, he stated that Mrs Gasha-Dube was a serious and productive miner who deserved the mining claims.

Mr Lunga was not available for comment as his mobile was not reachable. Turfwall Mining acquired 18 mining claims from Falcon Gold, but has not been involved in any meaningful development.

Mrs Gasha-Dube said when she acquired the mine together with her late husband, there was no meaningful development.

—@mashnets.