Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 02, 2015 News
– Says miners who know “big ones” can do as they please
By Abena Rockcliffe
“Wild, Wild West” is what President of the Guyana Women Miners Organization (GWMO), Simona Broomes described the mining center, Imbaimadai to be.
During an interview with Kaieteur News, Broomes spoke about the absolute lack of order in that area.
Broomes highlighted from the poor health services to the heavy human trafficking in the area. She mentioned also, the lax police supervision and the vast unlawful mining.
As she zeroed in on the mining woes, the ex-miner told Kaieteur News that advantage is being taken on women miners and that it seems like turning to the authorities is a fruitless move for them.
Broomes claimed that “when male miners go to the authorities they get satisfaction, but there is none for female miners. If a female miner is in the fields and she goes to the Mines Officer, she is treated as if she is not important, as if she doesn’t understand herself. It is gender discrimination.”
Broomes lamented that because of this approach towards the concerns of women miners, “they (women miners) are losing millions.”
She explained that some of the women suffering are members of her organization.
Broomes pointed to one family—the Peters—who, for generations, were the largest property owners in Imbaimadai.
She said the Peters women have been making “complaints after complaints for problems after problems. They are being bullied for their claims. People are doing all sorts of things: throwing tail ends in their water properties and stuff, covering minerals.”
The women miners’ representative said that in December, Amanda Peters saw a miner, Compton Mendonza, working on her property and took this to the attention of a Mines Officer. The Officer told her that nothing could have been done because she had no documents on her to prove that she is indeed the owner.
This was the case even though Mendonza had no documents to prove that he owned the property also.
“But Mendoza says he was not moving. This was during the Christmas season, and then they had the strike soon after, which held things up a bit. As soon the strike was over, I went to the Manager of GGMC and he sent in another Mines Officer with me and Ms. Peters,” Broomes accounted.
She said that upon arrival to the same area, Mendonza was not there but operation was in full swing.
Broomes said that the Mines Officer decided to issue a “Cease Work Order.”
According to Broomes, the Officer immediately returned to the landing and served Mendonza with the order.
“But Mendonza was, in my opinion, very disrespectful. He told the officer that he was not signing for it but said he would collect it. Mendonza continued work. He did not stop.”
Broomes said that she went down river looking at water claims and discovered that others were also mining on properties there, “so he (the Mines Officer) had to do other cease orders.”
“It is the worst I have ever seen in a long time. It is wild, wild west. This woman owns all these properties but these dredge people just doing what they want, she has no say. A man had a big missile and dragger, saying he is working land, but dragger cannot work land. But, if he working land, he should put it on land, not on her claims. There are laws to protect these things. She is losing millions,” said Broomes.
The GWMO President told Kaieteur News that she is going to the Manager of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) today to find out what is next, since the persons continued with their operation even after they were served with the Cease Orders.
Broomes said she cannot understand this new way of doing things.
“Before time they use to measure the pit when they give you a Cease Work Order. A cease order is not to turn off an engine. We use to have to pull our engine out of the pit it. It meant you had to cease work, dismantle. Now is something that is being served so by the time the officer leaves, they continue to work. And, by the time the investigation finish the man on the ground is not losing, he done work out you place and make a good 80 ounce of gold and you cannot take him to court because he can go and say he make one ounce or none at all.”
Broomes said that Mendonza was able to be disrespectful to the Mines Officer because “he knows big ones and he got politicians as associates and friends, so he is all powerful… the people who don’t know big ones have to tow the lines but those who know big ones get off free. The Mines officer would not even approach his dredge, and would not even go to his operation because he knows that even if he tries to do his job he would be playing with trouble”
Broomes asserted that she thinks the unlawful mining is being done too blatantly and called on all women with properties in the interior to come together.
She said that she is advocating that persons who work on other people claims be charged as a way to address the issue head on.
Broomes said that it has become a practice treating woman “anyhow, but as President of this organization, I want to go on record saying that we will not accept this as business as usual.”
Broomes said that her organization held workshops last year to educate the women about mining regulations.
She urged that the GGMC makes such or similar moves to educate Mines Officers about regulations because “Often times on the ground, they make decisions that are against the mining regulation.”
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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