The Minister of Minerals, Mr. Anthony Mavunde (Mb) has said that the President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania has directed the issuance of a nickel mining license to the National Mining Corporation (STAMICO) and to small-scale miners in the Ntaka-Nachingwea hills area, Lindi Region.
Minister Mavunde said yesterday, July 08, 2025, at a public meeting of citizens and miners in Nditi Village after conducting a tour of the areas and mines of small-scale miners under the Union of Mining Groups (UVIWAMA).
President Dr. Samia Hassan has heard your long-standing cry for mining areas under Government-owned Licenses. And that is why I have come here to bring good news to small-scale miners that we will not remove you from the area you are mining and we are going to formalize them.
Despite being given a mining area, I would like to urge small-scale miners to follow the procedures in accordance with the Mining Act, Chapter 123, which directs the mining right holder to ensure that he obtains the consent of the land right holder before he begins mining in order to avoid conflicts in their mining activities.
President Dr. Samia has directed that the license area measuring 45 square kilometers be given to the National Mining Corporation (STAMICO) for the commencement of large-scale nickel mining within the next 18 months as directed by the Mining Act.
Since the government paid more than 243 billion shillings as compensation for this license, it is now necessary for STAMICO and small-scale miners to carry out productive mining in order to return the money to the government’s general fund.
Greeting on behalf of the small-scale miners, the Chairman of the Lindi Regional Small-Scale Miners Association (LIREMA), Mr. Mayunga Musa Buyaga said that the small-scale miners are grateful to President Dr. Samia Hassan for her great love and care for them and promised to continue collaborating with the Government to carry out productive mining.
Lindi Regional Commissioner, Mrs. Zainab Telack has congratulated President Dr. Samia for restoring hope and happy faces to small-scale miners and promised that the Regional Government will continue to provide sincere cooperation so that mining activities are carried out according to the established procedure without generating conflicts.
