Around 9,000 brickmakers in Moatize, in Tete province, are demanding compensation of around 185,000 meticais for each potter from the Vulcan mining company, which amounts to more than 1 billion meticais, allegedly because they practiced this activity in the concession area.

Vulcan refuses to pay this amount, justifying that all outstanding claims on the pottery were met in the 2019 memorandum of understanding, and it was agreed that there was no other group.

"No compensation will be paid, but we are open to working on social development initiatives shared with brick manufacturers for the sustainable progress of the members of the community where the company is located," assured the Vulcan mining company quoted by the newspaper Notícias.

In this context, he began a series of interviews with supposed potters to find out who the real candidates were to benefit from these initiatives, but of the 2,000 already interviewed, only 300 passed the practical brick-making test that was recently held.

The company explains that when the real potters were discovered, informal committees blocked the tests and sent messages threatening vandalism through demonstrations.

"They made illegal demands, such as for Vulcan to stop carrying out mining operations in concession areas previously occupied by the potters. They also issued unrealizable demands such as the payment of all required compensation by 31 December," the company lamented.

As a way of putting an end to this conflict, a meeting was held yesterday between Vulcan's management and some representatives of the protesters, a meeting that was attended by the mayor of Moatize, Carlos Portimão, who advised all eligible potters to take the practical tests, as the mining company suggested, starting next Wednesday.