Friday, December 18, 2009

RC orders miners out of Mwanza site

By Paulina David, Mwanza

Small-scale miners will be evicted from the Mwanangwa diamond mine to pave the way for a large-scale investor, the Mwanza regional commissioner, Mr Abbas Kandoro has said.

He told the Mwanza Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) meeting here that a fresh arrangement was being made for them to secure an alternative mine in which to operate.

They were evicted a fortnight ago as a precaution
against the swine flu outbreak in the area. They, however refused to vacate the mine unless the large-scale investor
and his workers were also evicted.

The small-scale miners has also accused police officers assigned to guard the mine of returning to the site and stealthly of extracting diamond at night.

"The small-scale miners should be forbidden from working at the mine until the area of the large-scale miner is demarcated," Mr Kandoro explained during the meeting.

He promised that the small-scale miners would be provided with the remaining area. The miners wounded a village executive officer (VEO) while he was enforcing the regional
commissioner's order last Wednesday.

The (VEO) accompanied the Misungwi district commissioner,
Ms Mariam Lugaila, and police officers from the district.
Reports from the village, which were confirmed by the acting
Mwanza regional police commander, Mr Elias Kalinga, said miners hurled stones at the Veo, DC and law enforcers as they protested against the eviction.

Mr Kandoro directed the miners to disperse from the mine to avoid swine flu infection, as over 140 Ilula Primary School pupils and villagers had by then tested positive to the contagious disease.

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