The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Shija Felicia
14 November 2009
A village situated near the Buzwagi Gold Mine will now provide it with security services, it has been decided.
To this effect the mine has entered into an agreement with the village government under which it will be providing the mine with security outside its perimeter.
The management of the mine is optimistic that the agreement would greatly reduce vandalism caused by criminals in collaboration with some villagers living around the mine.
Its senior public relations and community development officer, Mr Bernard Mihayo, said the mine would spend Sh11 million.
This would be on emoluments for 87 traditional security guards through their Mwime village government which employs them.
Mr Mihayo said the arrangement, which will create employment for 300 young people, will be extended to Chapulwa and Mwendakulima villages surrounding the mine in the near future.
Kahama district commissioner Bahati Matala handed over security gear to the Mwime village traditional security guards popularly known as 'sungusungu.' They include rain coats, boots, whistles and uniforms.
Mr Matala cautioned them over getting drunk during working hours, as this provided criminals with an opportunity to storm into their workplaces.
He was surprised that criminals were stealing property in the mine's buildings situated outside its compound even after they were handed over to local authorities.
The Buzwagi Gold Mine is surrounded by Mwime, Chapulwa and Mwendakulima villages whose residents, according to the DC, were the ones vandalising the mine's property.
The villagers had taken away corrugated iron sheets, doors, bricks and toilet sinks from the buildings, he explained. According to him, they also stole used syringes from a dispensary regardless of the risk of contracting diseases.
The local authorities' intention to transform the buildings into a teacher training college flopped as a result of this vandalism, he said.
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