Local communities in Ruvuma Region urged to embrace Mkuju River Uranium Project

The Mantra Tanzania Community Relations Manager Benard Mihayo (right) stresses a point to the Ruvuma Region District Commissioners who were on a familiarilization tour at the Mkuju River Uranium Project site in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region at the weekend.

The Mantra Tanzania Geological Officer Roy Namgera (in white head gear) explains a point to Ruvuma Region District Commissioners who were on a familiarilization tour at the Mkuju River Uranium Project site in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region at the weekend. Second from the right (in red cap) is the Namtumbo District Commissioner Abdallah Lutavi

Namtumbo District Commissioner Abdallah Lutavi (in front) leads other Ruvuma Region District Commissioners to the Mkuju River Uranium Project site in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region at the weekend. The DCs had gone for a one-day familiarilization tour at the project.

=====  =======  ======= ======

WITH just a few weeks gone after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee accepted Tanzania's request to make changes to the territory of the Selous Game Reserve to pave way for uranium mining, the five District Commissioners within Ruvuma Region have called upon local communities to embrace opportunities that may come by when the project starts.

The UNESCO committee at a meeting in St Petersburg in the Russian Federation that started June 24 to 6 July 2012, committee unanimously approved Tanzania's request to modify the boundary of the game reserve by 0.8 per cent which means that about 200 square kilometers to the south of the Selous, where uranium deposits are found, will also be excluded.

Speaking during a visit to the $400 million Mkuju River uranium mine development project in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region at the weekend, the DCs urged locals not to listen to rumors that the project poses a threat to their lives. The Namtumbo District Commissioner Abdallah Lutavi said the project is expected to benefit the whole region in terms of poverty alleviation through jobs that will be created when the project begins.

“Local communities should embrace opportunities that may come by since the project will create a win-win situation. We are sure the good relations between Mantra Tanzania and local communities will persevere,” he said. The Mbinga District Commissioner Senyi  Ngaga said the mineral does not cause any harm in its raw-form urging that the minerals will not be processed in the country but exported.

Earlier the Mantra Tanzania Community relations Manager Benard Mihayo said there is still a challenge for the company to offer jobs to local communities as per the company’s policy since many of them do not have the necessary academic qualifications. “All semi-skilled laborers will come from surrounding communities surrounding the project.  We expect 500 permanent staff and the project will create many jobs in-directly,” he said 

The Mantra Tanzania Geological Officer Roy Namgera the project has life-span of 15 years but the company is still undertaking a research to determine where the project’s life span can take longer. The proposed uranium mine on the Selous Game reserve will give the Tanzanian coffers an annual gross turnover of at least $250 million for 15 years.