TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
A Chinese firm, Mutagech Logistics (Pvt) Limited has been dragged to Bulawayo High Court by Greater Whange Residents Trust (GWRT), to stop carrying out mining activities at Nechenge Coal Mine Project site in Matabeleland North Province.
GWRT said the local community was not consulted.
Last year, Mutagech Logistics was issued with an environmental and social impact assessment certificate and moved on site in the Diki area near a dam under Change ward to start mining.
According to the court papers, Mutagech Logistics (Pvt) was cited as the first respondent while Hwange Rural District Council was the second respondent.
The Environmental Management Agency cited as the third respondent.
The GWRT argued that mining operations should be stopped as the local community was not consulted as demanded by the Constitution of Zimbabwe as read with the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 2027).
“Consultation was limited to the chief, Charles Nekatambe to headman Joseph Change and only seven village heads to the unjustified exclusion of the majority of villagers numbering more than 300 as it appears on the Environmental Impact Assessment document report headed ‘Lukosi Concession Special Great Number (6001) attached hereto as Annexure C contrary to the aforestated legislation,” argued Greater Whange Residents Association coordinator Fidelis Chima.
Chima said Mutagech Logistics makes a special note to the elect that the consultation of the Hwange peoples would be done only after it has been issued with a development permit.
There were no public consultations to speak of. In fact, under the comments made by the Hwange Rural District Council in completing the Respondent’s questionnaire, including that the community must be engaged and consulted.
Chima said at least 300 households were likely to be evicted from their place.
“To put this into perspective, it must be stated that about three hundred (300) family or household units in Bhangale and Diki of Nechenge are likely to be displaced if the coal mining continues.
“Villagers fear that the project will take away communal land earmarked for rural households expansion as well as grazing land for villagers’ cattle and Wildlife,” he said.
Some companies already operating in coal mining in Hwange include Hwange Colliery, Makomo Mining, W & K Mining and Galpex Mining.
However, last year, the government issued a notice to shut down operations in Kaseke Village by a Chinese mining company Heijin in Uzumba after villagers resisted their removal from the 300-hectare piece of land earmarked for the operation.
The government has set a target to ensure continued growth of the mining sector and ensure the sector becomes US$12 billion industry by 2023
