The apparent chaos in the small mine workings belies the highly structured orpaillage system within this region, which is largely led in each village by the village elders’ council, which in turn is led by the village founder family member. He is usually also the landowner of the area in which the village is located.
Each orpaillage site (dama) has a chief (dama tigui) who is the eldest member of the village’s founding family who first practised orpaillage in the area. He is charged with managing all issues relating to orpaillage within the village. The day to day management of orpaillage issues is overseen by the village orpaillage committee (tombolina), led by the Tombolina kutigui.
Orpaillage system at Siguiri
Each village has well-known orpaillage sites within its territory called placers, which are divided into surface units (be) by the village orpaillage committee. The village committee allocates places to dig subject to payment of fees (around 25,000GNF per season in 2007 – equivalent to around US$5). These individuals then need to join a five-person team led by one villager (autochthon). On average each orpaillage hole is exploited by 22 people (see diagram).
Other fees are also collected by the orpaillage committees:
*motor pump owners pay between 100,000 and 25,000GNF to access each unit in each places, from the proceeds they earn by pumping water from holes;
*gold buyers operating in the area pay around 3,000GNF per week; and
*traders doing business in the area (food and other articles) pay around 3,000GNF per week.
Certain rules are associated with the orpaillage and punitive fines of around 10,000GNF may be instituted by the committee.
Every orpaillage committee pays an amount of money to:
*the Communauté Rurale de Développement (CRD) as a contribution towards the development of the village;
*the Prefectoral Office of Mines, which in turn returns 60% of the fees paid back to the CRD in which the place is located; and
*a tax to the Prefectoral Office of Forest Resources for using wood to support their hole walls.
In addition to the income provided to household members, orpaillage is an important source of funding for the villages and, in addition to goods and services for the village, is used for larger scale projects, such as the construction of a water reticulation project in Kitinia and the planning and construction of the Fatoya High School.
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