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By Clayton Masekesa
PENHALONGA – At one time, Jonathan Moyo, a cabinet minister during the reign of former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, was a very powerful man.
Though being alleged to be the architect behind the draconian, Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) that was meant to silence mainly the opposition voices, Moyo, a renounced professor stole the hearts of many through his music.
In 2005, Moyo the then Minister of Information and Publicity who owned the musical outfit PaxAfro, penned and arranged the plug track called Working Under The Mine off the debut album Back To Black.
The famous song sung by veteran musician, Isaac Chirwa, topped the musical charts on the country’s radio stations.
The song carries strong messages that depict how a mine worker works so hard under difficult circumstances, but, has nothing to show out of his hard labour.
The lyrics go like this:
“All week long, I am shafted underground to bring back the world underneath. I go down just like another tool, digging deep and deep underneath. As I go deep, l feel the pain, as my labour goes right down through the drain.
Working under the mine, mining what is not mine.
“All day long I am at work from 5 am-9 pm, I get home tired like a dog. My romance has since become a bore, and I now feel like a lonely hog. Oh, my sweet Jane, I feel the pain, as I go deep in labour down through the drain
Working under the mine, mining what is not mine.
“There is one thing that I now understand. From this mine, comes some good things in life. Tell my boss that I now thus demand, diamond ring for my precious wife. Some millionaire has a solitaire; deep from this mine I want some good thongs of life
Working under the mine mining what is not mine.”
The lyrics and messages in the song clearly outline the predicament in which Redwing Mine workers in Penhalonga are.
Angry Redwing Mine workers have expressed grave concerns over the continuous neglect, as they have gone for several months without receiving salaries.
They strongly allege that there is organized looting of gold worth thousands of United States dollars that have been taken out from them, without directly benefitting despite being the workers directly producing the gold.
BetterBrands Mining Company (BMC) owned by Pedzisai “Scott” Sakupwanya, a flamboyant and flashy personality, closely linked to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is allegedly implicated in a gigantic gold looting scandal at Redwing Mine.
Sakupwanya is accused of abusing gold licenses, buying gold and delivering less than 50 percent to Fidelity Printers and Refiners, and smuggling the rest to other countries.
Redwing Mine used to be run by Metallon Corporation, owned by South African tycoon Mzi Khumalo before Sakupwanya clandestinely took over.
Metallon Corporation is a gold producer, developer, and explorer with operations in Zimbabwe. It is Zimbabwe’s largest gold mining company operating three gold mines throughout the country.
BMC is on record to have unaccountable mining practices and propelling violence in the community.
Investigations have revealed that Sakupwanya’s operations are in violation of Statutory Instrument (SI) 258 of 2018 Environmental Management (Control of Alluvial Mining) (Amendment) Regulations, which outlaws setting up washing plants, ore stockpiles, slime dams, or mining ponds within 500 meters from river beds.
The workers said they prefer the return of Metallon Gold, which they said produced about 50kgs of gold per month, as compared to the 5kgs of gold per month that has been produced by BMC.
Sakupwanya is alleged to have blocked the return of Metallon Gold and told the workers his company will pay salaries in United States dollars to them, but unfortunately, he has not fulfilled his promise as the workers have gone for several months without receiving any salaries.
An emotionally charged, Nelson Makoni, who has worked at Redwing Mine for 34 years and spoke on behalf of the disgruntled workers, said life at Redwing Mine has drastically become a downturn.
He said: “These people from Better Brands are only enriching themselves. Redwing Mine is being looted in our eyes and we are the people who are being exploited by BetterBrands Mining Company.”
Makoni added: “We are being used and treated as slaves. Gold ore is disappearing during the daylight. Where is that gold ore going? We have loads of gold ore being extracted from here every day and where is it going? Why are there no arrests being made?”
He added: “We are the people who are mining this gold, but, we have nothing to show. We have gone for months without salaries. We are working under very poor working conditions. We are in dire need of assistance. We are appealing to President Mnangagwa to come and have an address with us. We really need help.”
The workers have downed tools in protest over non-payment of wages, poor working conditions, and several other work-related grievances on many occasions, but their loud cries for rescue and consideration seem to have gone to some deaf ears, as they claim that the looting is continuous, while their concerns are going down the drain.
The director of the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), James Mupfumi, said gold mining at Redwing Mine was the worst case of mineral smuggling, while the workers are not being paid and surviving on crumbs.
“Operations of gold barons at Redwing Mine have proved beyond doubt that they are a worst case of tax evasion, mineral smuggling, and human rights abuse,” said Mupfumi.
“What is obtaining at Redwing Mine is the subversion of institutions meant to safeguard the rights of workers and community by politically driven cartels of mineral looters,” Mupfumi added.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defense, Home Affairs and Security Services, Rtd Brigadier General Levi Mayihlome said: “As a committee, we want to ensure that there is peace and tranquility in the country. The issues raised by the workers can cause instability and disgruntlement. We are happy that you have been frank and candid in addressing your issues.”
Mayihlome added: “We have taken upon ourselves to list and note down the concerns of the workers of not getting their salaries and of gold leakages taking place. That is why as a committee we have decided to have a look at how minerals are being leaked out of the country. We have noted that this can cause some great problems in our country.”
Efforts to get a comment from Sakupwanya were fruitless as his mobile phone continuously went unanswered.
The Redwing Mine General Manager Alexio Guyo was not available for comment.
President Mnangagwa has commanded mining companies in Zimbabwe to pay their workers good salaries following mine workers’ outcry over poor wages.
Addressing the Annual Conference of the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe in Victoria Falls recently, President Mnangagwa urged the mining companies to lead by example when compensating their workers.
“Meanwhile, I exhort the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Environmental Management Agency to ensure that mining houses abide by their commitments in their environmental impact assessments,” the President said.
“Additionally, the mining sector must strive to be a model employer by rewarding employees at favourable levels. As you grow and develop, employees within the mining sector must not be left behind,” President Mnangagwa said.