The letter was copied to Caledonia Mining Corporation, which owns Blanket Mine. It gave an ultimatum by which the gold producing giant has to comply with the indigenisation requirements as stipulated in the controversial Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act.

According to the Act, which has scared foreign investors away, foreign firms are required to handover 51 per cent to Zimbabweans. CMC, president and chief executive officer, Stefan Hayden, confirmed having received the letter from the minister of Indigenisation.

Hayden revealed that in the copy of the letter, which was directed to the minister of Mines Obert Mpofu, Kasukuwere requested that the former minister cancel Blanket Mine’s operating license on the grounds that CMC’s proposal does not meet the legislated indigenisation requirements.

Responding to the letter, Hayden said, “Caledonia believes the minister of Indigenisation (Kasukuwere) has exceeded his legal powers in terms of his requests to the minister of Mines.”

He further said their firm is “seeking urgent clarification from the relevant ministers,” and also “consulting with legal experts to take appropriate legal action”.

If Kasukuwere’s demands are met, it will put the lives of thousands of families employed by the gold mining giant at stake.

Kasukuwere has, however, remained unmoved over his one month ultimatum to the gold mining giant and several other foreign firms.