The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata and Ray Bande
THE Dangamvura Mountain quarry mining saga has taken a new twist, amid revelations that Government was probing the authenticity of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate which okayed operations at the site despite public discontent over safety concerns.
Manicaland Provincial Development Coordinator, Mr Edgars Seenza, revealed this week that he held a meeting with Mutare City Council over the issue and advised the city fathers that Government will have a re-look at the issuance of the EIA certificate.
The raging debate on the mining project which has temporarily been put on hold has opened a Pandora’s box, amid suspicions that the proposed excavation of quarry could be a smokescreen meant to cover up for the extraction of gold.
The gold-rich Mutare Greenstone Belt stretches from Odzi to the Mozambique border, an area that also covers Dangamvura Mountain.
Detectives from the Minerals, Fauna and Flora Unit have also been probing the mining deal between Mutare City Council and Freestone Mines (Pvt) Limited following the public outcry.
Preliminary works that were being carried out for the establishment of a quarry mining project on Dangamvura Mountain in Mutare, which are being done by Freestone Mines, which is in bed with Mutare City Council, have drawn the ire of environmentalists and residents’ associations, thereby forcing the local authority to halt the project and pave way for investigations.
Questions have been asked on whether a proper Environment Assessment Impact process was carried out as required by the law, while various stakeholders have expressed concern over the safety of residents living in suburbs near the mountain.
Mr Seenza said the EIA is an all-encompassing process which takes on board the input of residents when dealing with projects of this magnitude.
He said considering the objections of the public, it suggests that the whole process was not done properly.
“We have every reason to suspect that the local people were not consulted on this project, hence the current outcry,” he said.
“I have tasked the Mutare District Co-ordinator, Mr Wilson Bore, and council, to look into the matter. What we want to ascertain is whether residents were consulted in crafting the EAI. Was the EAI comprehensive enough in covering the wishes and sentiments of the residents?
“If it had been done transparently and procedurally, we would not be hearing the noise that is out there at the moment. The sentiments of the people are supposed to be considered.
“If members of the public were not given the chance to give their input, it means they are alien to the project, hence the outcry.
‘’I actually saw a copy of the document (EAI certificate) but we need to establish if the process was done correctly and then map the way forward,” he said.
Residents are saying the deal was done fraudulently without their involvement against the dictates of good corporate governance.
However, the local authority insists that the deal is in the best interest of the city as it will be one of Mutare’s income generating projects if it is allowed to sail through.
Mutare Mayor, Councillor Blessing Tandi said all processes were followed in crafting the deal.
But residents are convinced that benefits from the quarry mining which will only bring in US$7 500 per month to council will outweigh the projected benefits as it will result in environmental degradation and health probelms for them.
In a recent statement, Freestone Mines director, Mr Ruoxin Qi confirmed they have a quarry mining lease agreement with Mutare City Council.
“The local authority started the process in 2019 and the procurement process was concluded this year, and part of the conditions of the lease stipulated that we obtain an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before any commencement of operations.
“For the record, we had not started the quarry mining activities, but we were simply doing preparatory works. It is unfortunate that the preparatory works were misconstrued as quarry mining activities,” said Mr Qi.
Mr Ruddman Chakaza, an employee at a private land developing company, said the projected land degradation and air pollution cannot be ignored in the name of quarry mining.
‘’Every economic activity should take human rights into account.
“lt is also interesting to note that a gold belt stretches from Odzi to the Mozambican border. Could this be why the investor is so determined to conduct the quarry mining? Are they hoping to extract gold in the process?
“I am not sure if the city fathers have taken this into account, but they need to monitor such scenarios better in the future to protect the interests of the residents,” said Mr Chakaza.
Mr Frank Mpahlo, executive director of the Green Governance Zimbabwe Trust, weighed in saying the mining sector is blighted by opaque business operations.
“Tax evasion, misrepresentation, corruption and fraud are a common trend within the mining sector, with some mining firms faking their production output and nature of mining.
“We risk falling victim to such opaque practices due to a lack of monitoring mechanisms on exploration work.
“Independent geological survey of places for mining sites should always be done so that there is a broader understanding of what is at stake.
“This should then inform the nature of the contracts given to mining companies. Secondly, it is key to activate functional systems and peer review mechanisms for mining institutions to oversee the nature of mining at any given site,” said Mr Mpahlo.
Provincial Mining Director, Mr Ernest Mugandani, referred all questions to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Mr Onesimo Moyo.
However, efforts to get a comment from Mr Moyo were fruitless.
