10,000 Small-Scale Miners To Hit Streets

The Small-Scale Miners Association in the Ashanti Region has announced that a planned protest march against government’s clamp down on mining is expected to take place on 12 September.

This was contained in a press statement dated 5 September, issued by the Association’s Secretary, Kwabena Boakye.

The group said the demonstration dubbed Y3re br3 [We are Suffering], is meant to “register our displeasure at the government's stance towards small-scale mining after the expiry of the six months ban on our legitimate enterprises”.

“After exploiting all meaningful avenues to get government to at least rescind its decision against our legal employment for the past seven months, we are left with no option but to hit the streets to drum home our frustration since our only source of livelihood is threatened and as a result, we cannot pay back the loans acquired from various banks across the country,” the association explained.

The group said they are also inviting all well-meaning Ghanaians who share in their frustration to join the march on the specified day to “safeguard the future of small-scale mining, a legitimate business protected by our esteemed laws”.