Chinese mining company fined

By Regerai Tututuku

A Chinese diamond miner, Anjin Diamond Company, has clashed with the Bikita Rural District Council after the company allegedly set up its mining equipment and started exploring for the minerals without informing the local authority.

Bikita council chief executive officer Johnson Mupamhadzi said the local authority was shocked to see the company setting up and starting operations without getting a mining licence from the council.

Mupamhadzi said council had since resolved to impose a heavy fine on the company while awaiting company management to approach the local authority to regularise its operations.

“The problem is that we communicated this to the company long ago, but it looks like they are not willing to pay the fine,” he said. Although no official comment could be obtained from Anjin, an official at the mine said that the company would soon pay the fine.

“We thought it was not necessary to get in touch with the local authority since the ministry of mines had already given us a green light to embark on mining activities,” said the official. The Zimbabwean