Government
yesterday refuted claims that 22 deaths that occurred in January 2014
and April 2015 at North Mara mine were caused by soldiers guarding the
mine.
The deaths were caused by a fight among illegal miners, Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals Charles Mwijage said in response to a supplementary question by Tarime MP Nyambari Nyangwine (CCM).
Nyangwine wanted to know the number of villagers allegedly killed by soldiers guarding the mine that turned place into 'disaster area' because of the killings of 22 youth.
Twenty deaths happened due the fight among illegal miners and another occurred when the mine walls caved in on the victims, the minister said.
In his basic question, Nyambari asked why compensation for people whose areas had been surveyed was being delayed, saying the North Mara mine had planned to expand by 50 acres at Nyamichele and Nyankunguru, and that evaluation for compensating the villagers had been completed.
Many people from neighboring villagers were now coming to invest in the area hoping that they , too, would be compensated. “This made the miners to consider underground mining to reduce the cost of compensation,”Mwijage elaborated.
“Those who are ready to surrendered their spaces will be compensated. Sh60 billion... has been paid to speculators between March 2012 and March 2015,” he said.
Between 2010 and 2014, the miners invested Sh18.4 billion in social services around the communities and paid Sh116.61 billion as taxes, he added.
In a supplementary question, Singida East MP Tundu Lissu (Chadema) wanted the government to form a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the deaths.
Mwijage replied saying why investigative team when the source of deaths were known.
The deaths were caused by a fight among illegal miners, Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals Charles Mwijage said in response to a supplementary question by Tarime MP Nyambari Nyangwine (CCM).
Nyangwine wanted to know the number of villagers allegedly killed by soldiers guarding the mine that turned place into 'disaster area' because of the killings of 22 youth.
Twenty deaths happened due the fight among illegal miners and another occurred when the mine walls caved in on the victims, the minister said.
In his basic question, Nyambari asked why compensation for people whose areas had been surveyed was being delayed, saying the North Mara mine had planned to expand by 50 acres at Nyamichele and Nyankunguru, and that evaluation for compensating the villagers had been completed.
Many people from neighboring villagers were now coming to invest in the area hoping that they , too, would be compensated. “This made the miners to consider underground mining to reduce the cost of compensation,”Mwijage elaborated.
“Those who are ready to surrendered their spaces will be compensated. Sh60 billion... has been paid to speculators between March 2012 and March 2015,” he said.
Between 2010 and 2014, the miners invested Sh18.4 billion in social services around the communities and paid Sh116.61 billion as taxes, he added.
In a supplementary question, Singida East MP Tundu Lissu (Chadema) wanted the government to form a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the deaths.
Mwijage replied saying why investigative team when the source of deaths were known.
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