Derick Tsimba

Government will soon introduce a ‘Use It or Lose It’ mining policy to ensure production on mining claims improves, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Winston Chitando said this recently on the Ministry’s tweeter handle. The Minster also said Government would soon introduce a ‘Use It or Lose It’ mining policy that would ensure holders of mining titles fully utilise their claims or risk losing the unused sections.

“It comes quite apparent that there are a lot of disused shafts which belong to a number of companies who just renew them on an annual basis and without necessarily working on them. Because of that and also a number of considerations especially looking at the development of the mining industry, Government will be announcing in the next week detailed measures to enforce the ‘Use It or Lose It’ mining policy. We expect that all those who own shafts of this nature if they are not working on them as required by the law they will be losing them, all these announcements will be coming soon,” said the Minister. 

In support of the ‘Use It or Lose It’ mining policy one netizen commended that the policy should result in the improvement of mining production output.

“I support the ‘Use It or Lose It’ mining policy. For decades companies have hold on to mineral claims for speculative purposes at the expense of Zimbabweans. Let all mineral deposits be exploited for the benefit of the people. No need to hoard mineral claims,” said the netizen.