MWANZA: SMALL-SCALE miners in Kwimba and Misungwi districts in Mwanza region have commended the government’s move to grant them mining licenses, saying it has removed the challenge of working for fear of being called invaders and has opened up opportunities to increase production, employment and income.
Speaking today in an exclusive interview in Mhande ward during the provision of licence to 30 groups of small miners, the Secretary of Small-scale Miners in Misungwi District, Mr Bahati Boniface, said the mining license he obtained will help him carry out his mining work legally as well as be officially recognized as a miner.
He said the government through the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO) has been building their capacity by providing them with training in good mining techniques and enabling them to abandon superstitious beliefs in mining activities.
However, He said the biggest challenge that remains is the lack of credit, urging financial institutions to trust small-scale miners so that they can access capital and modern equipment.
For his part, a small-scale miner from Misungwi district, Mr Peter Charles, said that before obtaining a license, they were working for fear of being called invaders of other people’s lands, but now they are confident in conducting their activities legally.
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A miner from Kwimba district, Ms Zaphrani said the license will enable him to expand his mining activities, increase family income and contribute to the council’s revenue.
The Chairperson of the Women Miners of Mwanza Region, Hellen Paulin, said mining has continued to uplift women economically and enable them to meet family needs. She said they still face a shortage of mining equipment and requested that they be empowered to increase productivity in production.
Secretary general of the Small-scale Miners of Kwimba district, Mr Brighton Martin, said that the issuance of licenses to small-scale miners is an important step that will stimulate employment, boost the economy of the people and increase the contribution of the mining sector to national development.