Illegal mining kills 35 in Mozambique in 2021 – Xinhua

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Illegal mining kills 35 in Mozambique in 2021 – Xinhua

8:29 CAT | 10 Dec 2021

FILE PHOTO - For illustration purposes only. [in file CoM]

At least 35 people have died in 2021 from the illegal artisanal mining activities in Mozambique, said Salazar Mangumo, Director of the Inspection and Surveillance Services at the country’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME) in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Most of the accidents were verified in gold and rubies mining, in the central province of Manica and the northern province of Cabo Delgado, according to the director.

“In the year of 2020, fatal cases as a result of illegal artisanal mining were 73. With a significant reduction in 2021, we registered 35 deaths,” said Mangumo.

Local Mozambicans join in artisanal or small-scale mining activities, locally known as “garimpo”, for alternative source of income, but often get harmed or even killed by landsides or explosions.

“Illegal buyers, mostly foreigners, contribute to promoting this kind of activity. In addition to buying mineral products, they finance its extraction,” he said.

Without mentioning specific numbers in terms of losses, the director said that the mining activities fuel the smuggling of minerals in the country, harming the state in terms of revenue collection.

“Several efforts are being carried out, namely, the intensification of inspection actions as well as the dismantling of the illegal mining spots in coordination with the Police of the Republic of Mozambique,” he said.

The authorities also sensitize the miners to organise themselves in cooperative societies, aiming at taking adequate measures to meet industrial standards and carry out the activities safely, he added.

Source: Xinhua