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Mashava Mine has made a  commitment to pay the asbestos mine workers’ salaries by Tuesday next week.
This is expected to bring huge relief to the workers who have gone for more than two years without pay.

The board, led by Mr Goodwills Masimirembwa, met on Thursday last week and also resolved that the State-appointed SMM administrator, Mr Afaras Gwaradzimba, would transfer Nickdale shares held in SMM to Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu. Nickdale is an investment vehicle that Mr Gwaradzimba used to hold shares in SMM on behalf of the Government.
“At the meeting of ZMDC SMM on the 1st of September 2011, it was resolved that: (1) The SMM administrator Mr A Gwaradzimba should hand over the Nickdale share certificates to Hon Minister Mpofu or in his absence the Permanent Secretary by the 2nd of September 2011,” read the board resolution signed by both Mr Masimirembwa and Mr Gwaradzimba.

“(2) Grant Thornton Camelsa auditing firm be and is hereby authorised and mandated to forthwith carry out an initial audit of the SMM salary payroll. (3) ZMDC commits to payment of SMM employees salary arrears with the initial payment of three months to be effected on or before 12 September 2011 subject to and in line with the results of the audit contemplated in (2) above.”
Mr Masimirembwa could not be reached for yesterday to establish how much they were expected to raise for the three months’ salary.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Deputy Minister Gift Chimanikire, said he was still to get a full briefing as he had been out of town.
“Get in touch with me on Monday. I will have the full briefing,” said Deputy Minister Chimanikire.
It was also not immediately clear whether the transfer of shares meant that SMM is still under reconstruction in terms of the Reconstruction of State Indebted and Insolvency Companies Act.

Government and former shareholder, Mr Mutumwa Mawere are embroiled in an ownership legal battle over the control of the mine.
Mr Mawere has approached the courts seeking to reclaim control of the mining giant, saying the transfer of ownership from Justice and Legal Affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa to Ministry of Mines meant that the mine was no longer under reconstruction.

Minister Mpofu has on the other hand maintained that the mine remained under reconstruction.