At least 16 companies, out of a total of 36, which mine gold in the Révué river basin and its tributaries, were notified last week to suspend their activities in compliance with the recent decision by the Council of Ministers to organize the sector and stop the serious pollution of the rivers in Manica province.

Around 20 companies and two cooperatives of artisanal miners were still to be notified on Friday, and there is still no clarity on the methodology that will be used to ensure that the more than 10,000 miners operating in Manica comply with the suspension order.

According to information gathered from Ângelo Pinto, the inspector of Mineral Resources and Energy, the companies affected by the decision can only carry out maintenance work on equipment (within their own workshops) and security services "until further notice".

Despite the fact that the Council of Ministers' decision was recently made public, indicating that it would come into force immediately, some companies continued to carry out their activities as normal, claiming that "we weren't formally notified", a situation that Ângelo Pinto guarantees will be resolved with the delivery of the notifications. (Jornal Domingo)