- Prospectors union asks ministry for clear maps and a full EPO list.
- Union says withheld ground and poor maps deny prospectors their rights.
- Ministry has suspended walk-in cadastre services to speed up digital rollout.
- Ministry says new title system should be fully operational by December.
THE ZIMBABWE Prospectors Union has asked the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to publish clear maps and a full list of reserved areas and Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPOs) before a new mining title system takes effect.
Union President Samson Dzingwe said in a statement that the ministry has been giving prospectors “tattered and obscure” maps, which he said amounts to denying them their right to prospect.
He asked the ministry to stop withholding expired, suspended or cancelled EPOs, a practice he called illegal. He said it keeps ground closed that should be open for prospecting and pegging.
The union also wants the ministry to publish a list of Approved Prospectors in all provinces and make sure their signatures are not forged. Dzingwe said the ministry should keep to the 31-day registration period he said is set by the Mines and Minerals Act, and register claims in the order in which Approved Prospectors submit applications.
He asked for stamped maps and verified coordinates from the ministry’s database, to be attached to claim applications.
Dzingwe said photocopying maps causes errors of 25 to 75 metres on the ground and fuels disputes. He urged the ministry to print or georeference maps instead.
Clear maps and accurate coordinates are critical for a smooth transition to the new system and for restoring prospectors’ confidence, he said.
The ministry suspended walk-in services at the Deputy Cadastre Registrar’s Office from October 26 to speed up the rollout of a digital mining title management system. It directed applicants to provincial offices.
The ministry has said the national system should be fully operational by December. It says the system will end disputes over overlapping titles and claim boundaries.
Mines Minister Polite Kambamura has said the system must let an investor “establish which ground is available, who holds what right and what obligations attach to it.” The ministry holds a repository of more than 60,000 titles, including EPOs.
