A mere week after city officials and police raided Matholesville in an operation that was focused on illegal mining and disconnecting illegal electricity connections, the illegal miners are back in full force.
The Record visited the area on Tuesday, 16 July, and the illegal miners were hard at work, despite the fact that some of their tools were confiscated or destroyed. The ‘O Kae Molao’ (Where is the Law?) operation took place on Tuesday, 9 July.
Rambo, one of the main operators of the illegal mining syndicate, said they are appealing to the government for jobs.
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“The government is not doing enough in terms of creating jobs. I remember when I arrived here in 2011, it was a mission to even go outside and walk free; people were killed by the criminals. Due to unemployment, there was a high rate of crime,” he said.
He boasted that ever since he arrived in Matholesville with his mining skills, the crime rate has drastically decreased because everyone now has something to keep them busy.
“It is rare to hear that someone was murdered or robbed as compared to before. I am not saying there is no crime at all, but I am sure that the people that commit crimes are not part of this project. The people that work here are people that do not starve because they are making their own money without troubling anyone,” said Rambo.
It was said that everyone that does illegal mining was looking for a job but government is not playing its part.
He added, “Even if the authorities come and chase my workers away, they will come back, because none of them can afford to stay at home and starve, while there is a job that allows them to put food on their tables. If government wants to get rid of these people, then they must create jobs.”
In the background, the zama zamas vowed to continue with illegal mining and said no operation will stand in their way.
