AngloGold worried over illegal miners

AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) Ghana Limited says it is currently faced with a growing number of illegal mining activities within its Obuasi and Iduapriem concessions.

“The issue of illegal mining has in recent times become a major challenge to deal with in our operational areas, especially at the Obuasi mine with illegal miners encroaching on the mining concessions.

“It is a very dangerous practice and it is affecting our operations,” Mr. Peter Anderton, Senior Vice President, AGA (Ghana) told B&FT in Obuasi.

The impact of illegal mining activities, he said, comprise sinkholes, collapse of surface infrastructure, destruction of retaining pillars underground, and potential flooding due to arbitrary holes.

Others include damage and corruption of potential or remnant resource/reserve for future mining, destabilisation of mine infrastructure, and the disruption of production by theft of water, compressed air and electrical lines.

Mr. Anderton revealed that AGA is currently collaborating with the Minerals Commission and the Chamber of Mines to curb the menace of illegal mining operations on its concessions.

“We have adopted a regional workshop to help the youth acquire skills-training to be absorbed by the AGA. This is expected to provide the way forward for halting the dangerous illegal mining operations in the Obuasi mine and its affected areas.”

He said under AGA’s social investment plan, its core mandate is to help improve lives and livelihoods, foster support and promote businesses in the community so that citizens will not be over-dependent on the mine.

Mr. Anderton explained that the company’s values enjoin management to actively work in collaboration with the communities and the municipal authorities to physically develop Obuasi as a safe and livable municipality.

“One of the areas where we can help is to create alternative jobs; through the private companies operating in Obuasi and our own sustainability efforts.

“Our job at Obuasi and Iduapriem, like other AGA operations elsewhere, is to explore and mine gold for export. We are also working hand in hand with our business and social partners to move the entire communities around our operations forward in the spirit of our values.

“We uphold and promote fundamental human rights. We will contribute to building productive, respectful and mutually beneficial partnerships in the communities. We aim to leave the host communities with a sustainable future,” he remarked.

Last year, gold production from the activities of small-scale gold miners -- both legal and illegal -- totalled approximately 800,000 ounces, with the subsector estimated to employ between 100,000 and 300,000 people -- mostly unskilled rural labour.

There have been arguments about the activities of illegal mining operations, which provide livelihood opportunities for poor people and therefore must be approached as a developmental issue, not only a security problem. This is the challenge that all stakeholders in the sector, government, and civil society face.

Industry watchers have observed that illegal small-scale mining activities have always resulted in encroachment on large tracts of community lands, depriving poor and marginalised communities of their land-surface rights. This has deprived many communities of their sources of livelihood.

Dr. Toni Aubynn, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, in a recent statement called on the government to strengthen its resolve in tackling the nuisance of illegal miners.

“Illegal mining should no longer be considered business as usual; and while the Chamber supports the participation of Ghanaians in the mining value chain, the illegality around a large number of their operations and the negative impact on the environment is totally unacceptable,” he said.