In a 35-page report released on Wednesday titled Zimbabwe’s
Disappearing Gold: The Case of Mazowe and Penhalonga, CRNG alleges that the
artisanal mining sector has been captured by politically-connected individuals
who are likely to oil Zanu PF’s 2023 elections campaign machinery.
The report, produced by human rights activist Farai Maguwu,
claims that the party has appointed Zanu PF councillor and gold dealer Scott
Sakupwanya to be part of its fundraising committee, which was a clear
indication that cartels in the mining sector will bankroll the ruling party’s
2023 campaign.
“Illicit financial flows in the artisanal mining sector in
Zimbabwe are responsible for leakages of an estimated three tonnes of gold,
valued at approximately US$157 million every month. The sector has now spread
its tentacles from alluvial gold deposits along rivers and riverbeds to large
scale disused mines that are now patronised by politicians and ruling party
officials,” the report read.
It alleges that political elites have captured the
artisanal mining sector and are keeping it informal so that they can harvest
the gold.
“This led to a Godfather syndrome which saw powerful
individuals with political connections tightly controlling artisanal gold
mining at district and provincial level,” the report claims.
Early this week, Zanu PF political commissar Mike Bimha
told NewsDay in an interview that the party was on a whirlwind tour of the
country, meeting artisanal miners as part of its “Listening Tuesday”
initiative.
CNRG says Zimbabwe’s mineral sector has been politicised.
“Gold barons sponsor a tightly monitored patronage system
that is recruiting artisanal miners through political offices. Artisanal miners
earn a pittance while in return the gold barons get lucrative rewards.
“Over the past four years, Zimbabwe has experienced an
unprecedented increase in illicit financial flows. The problem dominates the
mining sector where artisanal mining is rampant. Artisanal gold mining, which
has become a major mining activity in Zimbabwe, is fuelling leakages of going
into the parallel system which are being run by Zanu PF cartels.”
Access to minerals has been patronised by the ruling party,
which parcels out gold claims to its youth, women and senior officials, the
report alleges.
As a result, mining was now characterised by lawlessness,
machete gang violence and blatant disregard of human rights.
New gold discoveries in the country are brought to the
attention and control of powerful ruling party officials under the guise of
restoring order while there is secrecy surrounding the artisanal mining sector.
In the report, Regai Tsunga, a former opposition MP in
Mutasa South accuses Zanu PF politicians of using their economic muscle to
organise artisanal miners to vote for them.
Tsunga narrowly lost in the Mutasa South constituency to
Zanu PF’s Misheck Mugadza in the March 26 by-elections.
“Politicians are controlling artisanal mining sites where
they are using their political and economic muscle to organise artisanal miners
to vote for the ruling party during elections,” Tsunga is quoted as saying in
the report.
Bimha yesterday dismissed the allegations.
“I do not know anything about the allegations. These are
lies, how can artisanal miners finance us? Mining in the country is governed by
the government,” Bimha said. Newsday
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