By The Respondents Reporter
Tanzania’s government has urged small-scale and artisanal gold miners in the country’s northwest to form organised groups and cooperatives, saying unity would help address longstanding challenges related to licensing, access to support services, and sustainable livelihoods.
Speaking during visits to gold mining sites in Lwamgasa, Nyarugusu, Nyakabwe, and Ngula in Geita Region, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government – TAMISEMI) and Busanda Member of Parliament, Dr Jafar Seif, encouraged young miners to work collectively rather than individually.
Dr. Seif said that organised groups would be better positioned to resolve shared challenges, engage with authorities, and access government programs aimed at supporting small- and medium-scale mining.
The call followed requests from miners who asked the deputy minister to convey their concerns to President Samia Suluhu Hassan, particularly the need for continued allocation of mining licences to Tanzanian-owned small- and medium-scale operators.
According to the miners, expanding access to licences would create more employment opportunities for youth and stimulate economic activity in communities surrounding mining areas.
Responding to the concerns, Dr Seif said the issue of licensing was being addressed by the Ministry of Minerals, under Minister Anthony Mavunde, and assured miners that the government was actively working on the matter.
He added that forming associations and cooperatives would significantly ease the process of acquiring licences and engaging with regulatory institutions, citing the Umoja wa Vijana Nyarugusu (UVINYA) group as an example of how unity and collective organisation had enabled young miners to achieve progress.
The government has, in recent years, stepped up efforts to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining.
This sector employs hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians and plays a growing role in rural incomes and local economic development.
