Former Lands and Natural Resource Minister Abu Jinapor says it is not possible to prevent people from engaging in small-scale mining.
He says it is more spiritual because regardless of all the efforts put in place to deter people from venturing into the industry,.
Abu Jinapor believes that it will be better to regulate the industry and ensure that their work is sustainable and has regard for the sanctity of the environment.
Abu Jinapor was speaking on Pan African Television when he made this known.
To him, regulating small-scale mining will help replace illegal small-scale mining.
“This may be unpopular to say but it is just not possible to prevent people from going to that industry. It is almost as if it is spiritual. We’ve done all kinds of things; we’ve put in all the draconian measures and yet people have persisted, and that is why I believe alongside the law enforcement measures is also the necessity to have the industry that is regulated, that is sustainable, that has regard for the sanctity of the environment. So that can be an alternative to illegal small-scale mining,” he explained during an interview with Kwes Pratt Jane
