The ruling was handed down after the firm approached the
court challenging Mines minister Winston Chitando and Mashonaland West
provincial mining director’s March 31 directive, arguing that the authorities
were seeking to undermine a previous court order granted in Angel Hill’s
favour.
In court papers, the mining firm said it initially
approached the High Court last month challenging a prohibitory order issued by
the Environmental Management Agency (Ema).
“Surprisingly and against the court order, Ema on the 10th
of March issued an order stopping the operations of the applicant (Angel Hill)
without any legal basis. The applicant approached this honourable court on an
urgent basis challenging such a decision and an order was granted suspending
the decision and allowing the applicant to carry out its mining activities,”
the application reads.
Angel Hill said despite this order, Chitando, the
provincial mining director and Ema “connived” to ensure that the firm was not
be allowed to resume mining activities.
“Officials from the respondent’s offices in reaction to the
court order of the 16th of March 2021 and on a witch hunting exercise, visited
the applicant’s mine on the 22nd of March.
“On the 31st of March, the second respondent (provincial
mining director) wrote to the applicant suspending the applicant’s mining
activities citing various reasons. It is apparent that this is a clear abuse of
administrative power to frustrate the court orders.
“The respondents are conniving with Ema to pre-empt orders
granted to this honourable court in a bid to pave way for the applicant’s
rivals, that is Zim Goldfields,” the firm said.
In his ruling, Chinamora ordered the suspension of the
March 31 letter to Angel Hill pending the finalisation of the matter, which has
been set down for hearing on Thursday. Daily News
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