This came at a heated Manicaland Miners Association annual general meeting that was held at a local hotel in Mutare on Wednesday.
The miners have called on the government to implement an audit that will come up with names of people who are not fully utilizing their gold claims.
In recent years, the Robert Mugabe led government embarked on an indigenous and empowerment policy that saw mainly Zanu PF members grabbing companies and mines in the name of economic empowerment.
The national chairman of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation LufeyiShato said they were not against the Zanu PF’s indigenous and economic programme but were concerned on how some of the beneficiaries have failed to utilize the gold claims.
“We are calling the government to implement the use it or lose it policy on all the idol gold mining claims. It is unfortunate that there are some beneficiaries who are not fully utilizing these resources. These people should lose these gold mining claims,†said Shato.
“We have others who acquired the mining rights but are failing to utilize them, they should surrender them to those who can produce or engage willing partners,†he added.
Shato said there should be sustainable solutions crafted on the many idle claims at the expense of thousands artisanal miners that are in dire need to mine and feed families.
“There should be a policy, which states that claims have a 12 month tenure after which they shall expire or be renewed. Failure to renew the titles will result in the forfeiture of the mining claims,†he added.
The Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines has said the mining sector has contributed more 50 percent of the foreign direct investment of the
$1.9 billion inflows Zimbabwe received since 2009.
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