CHENGETAI MURIMWA
The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) has accused mining companies operating in Marange and Chimanimani of posing a threat to humans and livestock after they left open pits upon completion of their activities.
Josephine Chiname a legal officer at ZELA said a field visit that they carried out in the area showed that open gullies are left out after the mining of diamonds.
“Mining companies that are mining diamonds in Marange and Chimanimani area are leaving a lot of open pits which pose a great danger to children, livestock and some have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and this affects people in surrounding areas in terms of Malaria,” Chiname said.
Chiname says the villagers in Chiadzwa are complaining of water pollution that is also taking place in Odzi and Save Rivers and are also affected by dust and noise pollution.
Mining companies are being accused of discharging poisonous chemicals in Odzi River after cleaning diamonds.
Odzi River feeds into Save River and the two rivers are also used for irrigation purposes.
Malvern Mudiwa of Marange Development Trust concurred with Chiname that open pits are a threat to their children and livestock.
“A number of villagers have lost their livestock because they are drowning in those open pits and the chemicals that are discharged in the rivers are also polluting our water sources,” said Mudiwa.
Chiname says companies should assist in the rehabilitation and come up with projects that help utilising the open pits that they would have been left.
“The open pits can be used to capture water that can be used for irrigation purposes,” said Chiname. Chiname said in the report, communities in Chimanimani and Marange area expect to benefit from mining activities that are happening in the localities.
“They expect to benefit from infrastructure development, having roads constructed, schools and clinics build,” she said.
“They also expect to benefit from employment creation but in Marange villagers complain that they are not benefitting.” Chiname said the survey that they were carrying out culminated into a report titled “The state of children and youths’ right to a healthy and sustainable environment in Zimbabwe: Assessment of the impacts of mining on children and youth living in mining communities.”
