The proliferation of artisanal mining associations in recent times, in Mozambique, worries the authorities, due to the risk that this entails in the destruction of mineral deposits.
The underlying problem is related to the low level of recovery of deposits caused by artisanal mining activity, taking into account the manual and poorly recommended techniques for the rational use of mineral deposits.
The concern was made public recently, in Maputo, in an interview granted to AIM, by the Inspector General of Mineral Resources and Energy, Obede Matine, speaking about the independent inspection of mining activity in Mozambique.
“There is a phenomenon that is happening now that is the proliferation of the creation of associations. And this proliferation, many of the times, contributes to the destruction of the deposits and their level of recovery starts to be low,” Matine explained.
The inspector lamented that due to the increase in artisanal activity, the deposits have a recovery level of about 30%, which leads to the loss of many ores that are lost underground, not allowing for their recovery.
“Instead of having a recovery of the deposits in the order of 90%, there is a recovery in the order of 30%, the ores are in a condition in which they can no longer be extracted, since the deposits were destroyed,” he said.
The source explains that if an area has a gold-type ore with a content of 0.9 to 1.2 grams per ton and benefits from industrial mining, there is a greater recovery of the ore in question, while if it is artisanal mining, most of the ore will be reported lost.
“So we call this complete destruction of the mineral deposit and this is bad for the state that expects greater profitability from the ores that occur in the country. In short, you are not recovering, for example, gold as it should be,” he said.
According to the source, there is currently a conflict between industrial and artisanal mining, which may be behind the proliferation of the creation of associations to “snatch” mining areas and later claim the right in case there is a concession for an industrial exploitation.
“This is a question of opportunity. The government has announced that it will census the artisanal activity and people are aware of the phenomena and want to be legalized,” Matine said.
The interviewee also reported situations in which foreigners enter the country and mobilize communities to create associations, sometimes in areas already licensed and with mining titles, especially in the provinces of Niassa and Zambézia, a situation that opens space for disputes and conflicts that sometimes the State has difficulties to break through.
