Fuel shortages hit hard on artisanal gold miners

By Kelvin Kasiwulaya in Shurugwi.

Artisanal miners in the mining town of Shurugwi have bemoaned the shortage of diesel citing the economic and industrial challenges paused by the shortage to their gold ore milling and production processes.

“Fuel shortages are greatly affecting the gold ore milling and production processes, we need fuel to transport to transport our gold ore from the mine to the milling centre,also the hammer mills and ball mills that we use to process the gold ore are powered by diesel which has become a scarce commodity in the market,”he said.

Another Artisanal miner Mrs Olgadencia Shiri implored government to urgently create a fuel facility that serves the mining community.

“Government should create a fuel supply chain that caters for gold miners,so that the mining sector is able to meet its gold production annual targets.

“Artisanal gold miners contribute a great deal to the fiscal development of the nation hence government should make sure that this industry is not sabotaged by politically induced fuel shortages,” said Mrs Shiri