Updates:
The Federation of Miners’ Associations of Tanzania (FEMATA), a membership body accommodating all ASM practitioners counting to nearly six million people in the country, was established, registered under the laws of Tanzania on November 4, 1986, as association under the Societies Ordinance (1957). At the time mining activities in the Tanzania was a defacto exclusive domain of ASM as set forth, recognized and drummed up by the Mining Act 1979.
The Federation of Miners’ Associations of Tanzania (FEMATA), a membership body accommodating all ASM practitioners counting to nearly six million people in the country, was established, registered under the laws of Tanzania on November 4, 1986, as association under the Societies Ordinance (1957). At the time mining activities in the Tanzania was a defacto exclusive domain of ASM as set forth, recognized and drummed up by the Mining Act 1979.
As at the time of FEMATA founding ASM manifestation was much more discernible in the Lake zone, Tanga and Chunya areas than other parts of the country, the majority of FEMATA founding members came from early ASM areas. The Mining Act 1979 encouraged ASM mining interventions, which in the main created the movement, noting the economic hardship conditions Tanzanians muddled through then, especially after the collapse of the East Africa Community (EAC) and the impact of fighting Idd Amin regime in Uganda. Youth from different rural and urban parts of Tanzania flocked in the then historically known as existing goldmine fields seeking alternative (expectation) way of earning living and make a difference.
However, despite being among the oldest civil society organizations, FEMATA could not do much institutionally that would portray strong visibility of the federation, apparently because of the country’s governance policy environment that prevailed then and perhaps internal leadership capacity challenges.
As of now, FEMATA membership portfolio is composed of the mining associations formed by individual ASM practitioners mainly extracting metallic, gemstones and industrial minerals in Tanzania. It was until 2012 when Professor Sospeter Mwijarubi Muhongo, then a flamboyant Minister for Energy and Minerals (MEM), pushed for invigoration of FEMATA beyond a persistent jerk. Apparently thereafter, FEMATA convened a general assembly, during which among others, members elected the federation leadership and tasked the latter to review the constitution. The second general assembly was convened in 2018 to review the federation performance and elect the current leadership. The third general assembly in FEMATA’s history is scheduled November 2023.
