ZIMBABWE’S largest lithium mine Bikita Minerals, currently owned by China’s Sinomine Resource Group, has been ordered to suspend operations until it complies with legal provisions that include labour, environmental and immigration laws.
Sinomine acquired Bikita Minerals which was previously
controlled by German investors through African Minerals Ltd for US$180 million
in January last year.
Despite surges in production, working conditions reportedly
deteriorated as workers were allegedly subjected to ill-treatment, poor
remuneration, while being accommodated in inhumane facilities and were not
registered with such statutory bodies as the National Social Security
Authority.
Mines and Mining Development deputy minister Polite
Kambamura confirmed the suspension which came after an inter-ministerial audit
last week.
Government officials have since also met management at
Sinomine.
“It’s a temporary suspension of operations. There were
issues that government noted that the mine was not complying with,” said
Kambamura. “We had a checklist and we were ticking. Anything that the company
wasn’t complying with we ticked and ordered it to correct before reopening.
The audit was done by an inter-ministerial team looking at
issues like immigration, labour laws, export laws, environmental laws and so
forth. Once the mine puts the house in order, its authorities will call us to
re-inspect. If it’s complying we will issue a reopening order.”
Kambamura described the suspension order as a good example
of government stamping its authority.
Bikita Minerals manager David Mwanza said the mine will
address issues raised within seven days.
“As a law-abiding corporate, we remain committed to fully
comply with all requirements of the law and expect to resume operations once
all the outstanding issues have been addressed,” he said.
“In the meantime, the company’s leadership is working
closely with all relevant authorities to ensure that the matter is resolved
within the stipulated time frame.”
He said the seven-day period will see all employees staying
at home except for those in care and maintenance.
“Those on essential services will be required to perform
their prescribed duties,” he said.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance director Farai
Maguwu welcomed government’s decision to suspend operations at Bikita Minerals,
claiming that there was massive looting of lithium at the mine.
“That’s the right thing to do. There is no hurry. It is
better to keep our lithium while we put our house in order than to give away
our natural capital for a song. We can never recover that which we have lost.
There has been massive depletion of lithium reserves at Bikita Minerals in
recent months and yet the country has nothing to show for it,” he said.
Bikita Minerals employs 860 people.Newsday
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