Exasperated prospective artisanal miners have come out guns blazing, accusing the government of elbowing them out of the sector by introducing stringent requirements that are way beyond their reach.
They also take a swipe at government officials for leveraging their knowledge of diamond locations across the country for their own gain.
For a start, the small-scale miners cite that the application process and requirements were overly complicated and hinder their ability to get state approval to venture into the lucrative mining sector.
They say these requirements extinguish the enthusiasm they had developed after the minister of natural resources, Mohlomi Moleko, recently pledged government’s commitment to assist them to obtain mining licenses for mining ventures, particularly in diamond extraction.
The commissioner of mines, Mohato Moima, this week explained that the granting of artisanal and small-scale mining permits is guided by the Mineral Permit (Section 46) of the Mines and Minerals Act 2005.
The law cites that a person who wishes to conduct small scale mining operations may apply for a mineral permit to conduct such operations for any mineral other than diamonds, over an area not exceeding 100m2.
It also explains that a person who wishes to obtain a mineral permit shall apply to the Mining Board by completing Form E (form) as specified in Schedule I.
Moima explained that the approved area should not exceed 100 metres and should be pegged.
The permit is valid for one year and is renewable. In addition, applicants are required to mine only the permitted mineral.
Moima further noted that extraction activities should be done in conformity with good mining and environmental practices.
“Miners are expected to report on their mineral production and value, brief description of their plant, vehicles and equipment and average number of employees,” he stated, adding that the use of explosives and powered machinery, except for loading and hauling of material, is restricted.
Moima also pointed that interested people are required to submit an application to the commissioner of mines for a site visit, then apply to the Mining Board for a mineral permit.
After successful completion of a Form E document, applications are then granted a permit by the minister of natural resources.
Moimasaid this during a heated forum with small-scale miners held at the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre in Maseru this week.
The meeting was hosted by the department of mines as part of efforts by government and the artisanal miners to find each other.
On his part, director legal in the ministry of natural resources, Mathalea Lerotholi, said previously, the government was not issuing permits for diamond artisanal and small-scale mining due to its complex nature.
“Diamond mining has proved to be problematic compared to mining of other minerals and as such, allocation of permits did not include it (diamond),” she noted.
She said other government agencies were also affected in the process of issuing out permits such the water sector and local government, and that needs to be taken into account.
Lerotholi added that an artisanal license cannot be upgradeable, but rather one has to graduate into large scale mining.
Giving a background of the mining sector, the director of the department of mining, Ngakane Ngakane, said Lesotho’s diamonds occur in three strata; within kimberlite pipes, subsidiary pipes, and those within the alluvial deposits.
Ngakane noted that there are about 405 known locations for kimberlite in the country and the government is still looking for more.
“The good thing is amongst us here, there are people who are eager; they just want licenses because they know the locations of these diamonds. I believe some still need guidance as to where diamonds can be found.”
He recounted that the largest known diamond in Lesotho, a 601ct, was found by artisans in 1967.
“There is a ray of hope that whatever the government is trying to do has potential of yielding results to those who want to embark on this journey,” Ngakane said.
The Mines and Minerals Act, 2005 (amended) seeks to give indigenous Basotho licenses to start mining diamonds in places where they believe the precious stones are found. The ministry can also advise diggers of places where such stones are available.
The then ministry of mining in 2022 had indicated that it had a map showing where diamonds can be found across the country.
“For now, as a pilot project, the ministry’s officials will be going to all the districts of Lesotho to register small-scale miners. People should not come to the ministry directly but wait for the officials to visit them.
“Registration will be done with the help of the ministry of local government through chiefs and local councillors. People can register for artisanal mining anywhere in the country where they would like to mine the diamonds.
“The ministry has also looked at working with other ministries such as the ministries of health, tourism, environment and culture under the department of environment and the ministry of forestry and soil conservation to guarantee that all aspects are looked at during the mining processes,” the ministry had said.
But small-scale miners this week said they were not amused.
They expressed fears that government officials might use this information for their own advantage and sidelines them.
A disappointed Thabiso Mokhothu told theReporter that he had anticipated a smooth process for obtaining mineral permits.
He said it was frustrating that they have to navigate several local authority dynamics, including possible clashes with chiefs and councillors over land use.
Mokhothu also criticised the condition on the permits that requires miners to dig only two meters deep to access kimberlite, only to be told to stop before reaching the diamond deposits.
“We also fear that some government officials might use their knowledge of diamond locations for their own gain at our expense,” he added.
Another small-scale miner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, raised concerns about whether miners can effectively find diamonds, particularly given the depth of the deposits.
He questioned the rationale behind the one-year renewal of mining licenses, emphasizing that the designated area of 100m² is too small.
He stated that it is very unlikely for miners to discover anything considerable within such a short time frame.
“Most diamonds are typically found way beyond two metres; this makes me wonder how many diamonds can actually be extracted from shallower depths,” he quizzed.
The miner further questioned the practicality and effectiveness of using equipment like tractor-loader-backhoe (TLB) once digging reaches boulders in those conditions.
Moleko said he was impressed by the enthusiasm among Basotho to obtain licenses and venture into mining, particularly in diamonds.
But if this week’s engagement is anything to go by, the government and artisanal miners need to do more to find each other, if any meaningful progress is to be made in seeing locals benefiting from the country’s natural resources and contributing to the economy.
