Locals Supporting Chinese in Reopening Goldfields Closed Shafts – Erastus Asare Donkor
Goldfields Ghana Limited had acquired Tarkwa Goldfields Limited in July 1993, transitioning to open-pit mining by 1998.
The company subsequently closed its underground operations, including the Mantraim shaft in the Brahabebome community, in favour of surface mining.
However, Erastus explained on Opemsuo Radio’s Nkwantannanso show with Kofi Boakye that, despite a court injunction prohibiting mining in these closed shafts, Chinese miners have resumed operations with the backing of local residents.
These collaborations have allowed the miners to bypass legal restrictions and continue illegal mining activities.
“Our people are backing and supporting the Chinese to take over and use these mines,” Erastus stated.
According to him, the Deputy Lands Minister, Hon. Akwasi Konadu declared that mining site as community project, supposedly granting permission to mine, though local chiefs and assembly members denied any knowledge of such authorisations.
“We went to ask the chiefs and assembly members about it and they claimed not to know about it. True to their word, we went there to check it out and some heavily muscled men were guarding it.”
Erastus also expressed concerns about the environmental and structural damage caused by the mining operations. The use of explosives, he noted, is cracking nearby buildings and posing serious risks to residents’ safety.
“They do not know the process involved in underground mining but they do it anyway.”
“Some miners only have a prospecting license but claim it will take too long to be approved so they start mining without the approval and others send their data to be checked and while they wait, others begin to mine on their concession. They won’t stand back and be cheated so they also start mining there without a grant,” he added.
Story by Precious Jenelle Frimpong Ankobia
