Authority pushes for safety awareness

Business

MINERAL Resources Authority (MRA) will issue notice to tenement holders around the country to inform alluvial miners about safety.
Managing director Jerry Garry said: “If they see any artisanal activity that are unsafe, they must also take the responsibility to warn people.”
Gerry said this yesterday during a K30,000 donation to Goilala’s Saki landslide appeal.
“While mining activity falls under our jurisdiction, such artisanal activity that occur in very remote places such as Saki rarely do come to our attention, so at this time, I want to appeal to any tenement holder to inform the people of the dangers,” he said.
The Tolukuma mine, which is still under liquidation, is located 30-50km away from the Saki landslide, which is not situated on the mining lease owned by Tolukuma Gold Mines Ltd.
However, Garry said the tenement holder of the area that covers Saki was Frontier Resources.
“A tenement holder in the area is a company called Frontier Resources, and, in fact, they have a helipad nearby,” he said.
“We will be reaching out to the stakeholders, particularly the tenement holders in remote parts, to also assist in ensuring that alluvial miners are not subject to severe threats as such.
“We are very sorry for what has happen, it was a natural disaster.”
Garry urged artisanal miners to observe the weather and take precautions.
“For artisanal mining, if, by law, they are required to apply for a licence, and when they apply for the licence, we look at the environmental impact, we look at how they are going to mine safely and we do have our inspectors inspecting those that have been permitted or licensed to operate.”