MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-The Midlands provincial mines office is under the spotlight for allegedly double allocation of chrome mining claims in the minerals rich Lalapanzi District.
This follows a mining claim wrangle between the former chrome mining giant ZimAlloys and Israel Mining Syndicate.
The dispute might spill into the courts and is set to open a can of worms at the provincial mines office.
Both ZimAlloys and the Israel Mining Syndicate have certificates of registration for the same mining claim issued by the mines ministry.
The mining block is registered as GUB 10 (8646BM) under ZimAlloys Chrome and Guburie Magnesute 5 (11077BM) for the Israel Mining Syndicate owned by Levy Mponya.
According to the documents gleaned by The Midweek Watch, the mines ministry pegged the block to ZimAlloys in1984 and to the Israel Mining Syndicate in 1996.
Investigations revealed that since 1996, Mponya, through the Israel Mining Syndicate, has been selling chrome to ZimAlloys from the same block until 2007 when the former mining giant declared insolvency.
In 2012, Israel Mining Syndicate started supplying chrome to Afrochine mining and smelting syndicate.
However, Mponya alleged that the Chinese company stopped payment for the ore supplied to it on the behest of ZimAlloys, as the dispute for the mining block escalated.
He claimed that ZimAlloys had threatened the Chinese investors not to pay for the chrome loads delivered by his mining company.
“They (ZimAlloys) stopped and garnished my payments for 2 chrome loads which I supplied to two Chinese companies in Lalapanzi. My workers have not been paid from last week up to now.
“ZimAlloys has allegedly threatened the Chinese companies in Lalapanzi resulting in loss of production,” he said.
Mponya expressed his displeasure at the manner in which the case is being handled by the Provincial Mining Director’s office.
He stated that his blocks are fully registered according to the Mines and Minerals Act and should not be interfered with by ZimAlloys.
“As of today, my blocks are fully registered according to the laws governing mining rights and should not be interfered with by ZimAlloys.
“It is a sad issue to see your office receiving a complaint alleging that I am doing mining without certificate of registration,” wrote Mponya.
In addition, Mponya accused ZimAlloys of trampling on small miners’ rights instead of supporting and complementing the government’s efforts in achieving a US$12 billion mining industry by 2025.
“I cannot be silent when ZimAlloys is using or trying to use office bearers to steal my chrome,” added Mponya.
He said the documents at hand indicates that ZimAlloys never worked on the block since 1984.
Adding that “The act is clear on section 177 subsection 7 that production at mine on the day of determination belongs to the holder who has mined it and not the prior pegger”.
However, the ZimAlloys general manager, Mike Dzinoreva told this reporter that the matter is being handled by the mines ministry.
On Thursday last week, Provincial mining director Khumbulani Mlangeni suspended mining activities at the block in a letter copied to CID Minerals Fauna and Flora Unity.
“After today’s deliberations (21 May 2024) on the dispute between Zimbabwe Alloys Chrome (ZimAlloys) and Israel Mining Syndicate (Mr. Levy Mponya).
“All mining, hauling, milling, and transportation of ore from Gub10 registration 8646BM for Zimbabwe Alloys Chrome and Guburie Magnesute 5 registration number 11077BM for Israel Mining Syndicate are hereby suspended,” wrote Midlands Mining Director.
Last year, the Midlands mining office was under the spotlight after the Anti- Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) released a dossier exposing the rot that includes origination of fake mining licences, use of falsified location coordinates, preferential treatment and wanton seize of claims.
