Almost two months after gold mining activities were halted in Campbelltown, Region Eight, residents are threatening to take matters into their own hands as they can no longer afford to sustain their families, according to now-suspended Toshao, Marbel Thomas.
Mining operations in the community were halted on October 20 by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) after an inspection revealed that mining operations there were unsafe. This resulted in some residents petitioning for the removal of the Toshao and the village council, while accusing them of only allowing family members and foreigners to mine in the area.
When those accusations were brought to the attention of the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, she ordered that mining activities be halted until an investigation into the council was conducted.