DRC Mines Minister wants to create an artisanal mining zone in Kamituga following last week’s accident
Following the landslide that caused the death, on September 11, of more than 50 artisanal gold diggers at the mining site called D3 / TSHANDA in Kamituga, in the province of South Kivu, the Minister of Mines , Willy Kitobo, decided not only to temporarily close this site pending the outcome of the investigations but also to create an artisanal mining zone (ZEA) to allow artisanal miners to continue operating in safety.
“Pending the end of the investigations, all artisanal mining activities on the D3 site are suspended. As a result, in the next few days, mining activities will be regularized, in particular the establishment of ZEAs with authorization from the holder of the concession mining area, the approval of mining cooperatives, etc. Consultation with the Authorities of the Eastern Provinces of our Country in general and those of the Province of South Kivu in particular is necessary to put an end to illegal artisanal mining in the mining areas conceded on the one hand, and to improve the good governance of these activities on the other hand ”,notes the press release from the Minister of Mines published on Monday, September 14 at the end of the meeting with the Administration of Mines and the Assistance and Supervision Service for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (SAEMAPE) .
Regarding the nature of the event, the Ministry of Mines indicates that it is “an accident caused by the torrential rains which fell this Friday, September 11, 2020 on the City of KAMITUGA and its surroundings, having led to the overflow of the Mobale river to the artisanal mining sites. The runoff water has thus in its passage, carried the operating discharges and the various debris which engulfed the artisanal miners in activity in two of the three wells of the mining site called D3 ”.
The reports of the Mining Administration Services show the presence of two groups of artisanal miners grouped together within mining cooperatives not recognized in the register of approved mining cooperatives called the Main Cooperative of Artisanal Diggers of Mwenga “CEPCAM” and Cooperative Mining of Bitanga and Lukala “COMIBAL”, notes the same press release.
According to the Ministry of Mines, the geographical coordinates recorded on the sites indicate that these artisanal mining wells are located on the granted perimeters. This is why the Ministry of Mines must first have the authorization of the owner of the mining site before creating a ZEA.
Note that a team of experts from the Ministry of Mines will be dispatched to these provinces to discuss with the provincial authorities and enforce these measures on the one hand and all the legal and regulatory provisions in the matter on the other hand, reports the same press release.
After the crash over the weekend, 22 bodies were recovered on Monday. This drama revives the issue of artisanal mining in the DRC. P everal accidents have already occurred. Faced with unemployment and poverty, several families work in unsecured artisanal sites to mine for gold, diamonds and other rare earths.
The D3 / Tshanda artisanal mining site is located in the Groupement de Baligi, Chiefdom of Wamuzimu, in the Mwenga Territory, on the edge of the town of Kamituga in the province of South Kivu.
