Mixed feelings over mine closure

SYDNEY SAIZE IN MUTARE

Artisanal miners, business community, vendors and civil society organisations (CSOs) have expressed mixed feelings on the decision by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to shut down mining operations at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga district, Manicaland Province.

The mining claim was operated by Betterbrands Mining Private Limited.

But EMA suspended its licence due to a myriad of reasons including lack of safety measure for its workers. There were more than 100 reported fatalities at the mine in two years.

Some members of the Penhalonga business community, vendors and artisanal miners bemoaned the closure of mining activities at Redwing Mine which they say has transformed their lives.

“With the current socio-economic situation in our country, mining which was done at Penhalonga was our only source of income. Some people benefited directly and others indirectly depending on what one does in the area,” the Vendors Association chairperson Loice Mangware and the business community representative, Moses Kimbini said in a joint statement.

The statement continued: “It is with a heavy heart that most of our families depend on us as the bread winners within the family set up and as such we are pleading with the government and other stakeholders within the mining sector to ease their laws in order for us to resume business.”

Abel Mupengesi from Buhera district told Business Times his only source of survival has been dealt a body blow.

“I came here last year to eke out a living through contracts to work on the mine, but now since it has been closed I have nowhere to get some money and I don’t know when we will get back to work,” Mupengesi  said.

He added: “Being the breadwinner all eyes are on me and am hopeless of what to do now.”

Rueben Chaitezvi from Headlands called for a quick resolution so that “people get back to work”.

“Everyone knows that there are very few jobs and closing some companies that had absorbed the unemployed is adding salt to injury. We pray for the mine to be opened sooner than later,” said Chaitezvi.

The Centre for Research Development’s James Mupfumi welcomed the development, adding the government should see to it that corners are not cut when revising the resumption of operation at the mine.

“We are expecting the government to cancel the non-standard tributary agreement that it granted to Betterbrands without undertaking due diligence that has seen over 100 people dying,” said Mupfumi.

He said the government should be held accountable for the deaths of the people at the mine.

“We are also expecting Parliament to summon Betterbrands Mining and recommend legal action for conducting reckless mining that is killing people. If the temporary ban is lifted without reforms we are approaching the United Nations Human Rights Council to register our insecurity,” Mupfumi said.

He said the government has a universal obligation to protect human rights and it is bound by the Human Rights Charter.

In a letter to stakeholders dated January 20, 2023, Betterbrands mine manager, Alexio Guyo said: “Betterbrands Mining shall take this opportunity to restructure and rehabilitate the mining field in preparation for resumption of surface and underground mining operations.”

The closure of the mining operations in Penhalonga comes after Business Times first reported that some Penhalonga residents and civil society organisations and community based organisations were pushing for the closure of the mine.