The government is conducting a census to produce reliable data on areas where minerals occur in non-industrial quantities, in order to curb illegal mining.

The information was released by the National Mining Director, Adriano Sênvano, who stated that every year the state loses millions of meticals due to the illegal sale and export of minerals.

According to him, from the beginning of the mining census to date, some 39,000 people involved in artisanal mining activity have been surveyed.

"Of the respondents, just over 35,000 are actually artisanal miners. We surveyed not only the artisanal miners themselves, but also the traders and elements of the communities, where such ores occur, because generally everyone is involved and we need to have all this data so that our sector can better organize itself" - mentioned the source.

The census is already in its third phase, according to our interlocutor. The first was carried out in the provinces of Nampula and in the southern zone, namely Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane. The second phase was carried out in the central provinces (Sofala, Manica, Tete, and Zambézia).

The director general of Mines was speaking recently at the headquarters of the administrative post of Mesa, in Ancuabe district, Cabo Delgado province, as part of the monitoring of the mining census.

In Mesa, according to the source, there is a proliferation of artisanal miners, known as garimpeiros, who extract garnet, an ore that is abundant in that part of Cabo Delgado.

"In these areas, the Government will assign mining passwords, which are documents that empower communities to develop artisanal exploration activities, in a safe way, for their incomes," he said.