HARARE - Workers from Mashaba mine, a subsidiary of Shabanie and Mashaba Mine Holdings, Zimbabwe's sole asbestos mining company, have turned to surrounding resettled farmers for "piece" jobs, mainly in exchange for grain The Zimbabwean can reveal. (Pictured: Asbestos mine at Mashaba were workers have gone without pay for months)
The workers, who have not been paid full salaries since the beginning of this year, said they had no option but to look for alternative means of survival. They said the average pay of US$30 was “too little” to sustain them.
“Since January we have not been paid full salaries, instead getting random stipends of between US$30 and US$50. Some have even not been paid anything for two months. We only get payslips with outstanding balances. So the majority of us cannot afford to buy food hence we sell our labour to nearby farm resettlements in exchange for buckets of maize grain depending on the size of portion of land you work on,” said a civil engineering employee, who only identified himself as Lawrence.
“We started working on these farms last year when the economy was at its worst,” he added.
Resettled villagers who were relocated from Murowa diamond fields agreed they had sought “cheap labour” for a “song” mainly from Mashaba Mine employees.
“We have had farm workers in the form of Mashaba Mine employees who come here vachida kuita maricho. At the time of harvesting this year, they came
in their numbers exchanging their labour mainly for maize grain. At the moment others are coming to us asking to clear land in preparation for the rainy season. We give them maize grain, groundnuts or even beans depending on availability,” said one resettled farmer.
The asbestos mine is dogged by serious financial constraints. Recently power utility, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) cut power supplies at Shabanie and Mashaba Mine.
At full capacity the company can produce up to 120 tonnes of high quality chrysotile fibre per day.
Shabanie Mine is said to owe ZESA an electricity bill of between US$3,5 million and $4,6 million dollars.
Post published in: Economy