The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An estimated 400 artisanal and small scale miners in Ntungamo district have protested the escalation of harassment and torture by the mineral protection police.
The miners led a procession from Mwerasandhu tin mine that was leased to Zanaack Holdings in Rwamwire and Ruhaama parishes in Ruhaama Ntungamo district on Friday morning.
They trekked for 5 kilometers to Ruhaama sub county headquarters where they demanded to meet the district leadership to express their grievances.
The miners also protested the lowering of tin prices and delayed payment for the tin supplied to Zanaack Holdings, which they say has taken over 5 months.
Osbert Gumisisriza, a miner says they use a lot of energy to mine and do everything that they can to get minerals to sustain their families amidst torture from mineral police.
“They torture us when they find you with tin and they just suspect that you want to sell it to another company. They make you sleep facing up the sun for the whole day or crawl on your knees in murrum for a distance. They beat us in all ways using their gun,” he said.
The miners held a meeting with their local leaders including, the sub county chairperson John Kwatampora, LC V councilor, Bernard Ahabwe Mukasa, Joseph Mukasa and security officials and Company Representatives.
In the meeting the miners openly faulted their local leaders for keeping a deaf ear even after they petitioned the Resident District Commissioner, district chairman, district council, the Energy and Mineral Development Minister and area Members of parliament on their suffering.
Abel Natamba, a miner says they were last paid in September and are still forced to sell their Tin to the company even when they know they could get better prices elsewhere.
“No one has been paid for the tin sold to Zanack. The company has been reducing the price of Tin from Shillings. 32000 to Shillings 28000, to Shillings 22000 to Shillings 18000, to Shillings 12,000 and recently they were telling us to sell them at Shilling 7000 and that we must sell to them because they are the only legal buyers, we know we can sell at Shillings 30,000 to other Tin dealers,” he said.
Musisi Katende, who represented the company, said there has been a fall in tin prices, which he attributed to the closure of the Rwanda border and general fall in minerals market prices in the country.
“We have no control over prices if you are protesting prices that is a general problem. We might even start buying at lower prices. We don’t think we are mistreating you, we had suggested closing the mines but you asked us to keep them open and we can’t let you sell Tin on any black market, we have a lease, we must pay license and other taxes,” he said.
Eyati Joseph, the Commandant of the mineral police at the mining center denied accusations of torturing the miners. The sub county chairperson, John Kwatampora, promised to follow up on the miner’s petition. This is the second time miners at Mwerasandhu mines are protesting alleged harassment and low prices. They had similar protests in May last year.
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