CHINESE mining company, Heijin, has reportedly told villagers in Kaseke, Uzumba district, that they have no capacity to stop their eviction to pave way for granite stone mining as they have no title deeds to the disputed communal land.
Chief Nyajina last Wednesday told a high-powered government
delegation tasked to resolve the land dispute that the mining company’s
representatives had told them to stop fighting for their ancestral land since
they did not have rights to it.
The delegation comprised Local Government minister July
Moyo, Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs minister Aplonia Munzverengwi, Mines
deputy minister Polite Kambamura, Zanu PF acting Mashonaland East provincial
chairperson Michael Madanha, Uzumba legislator Simbaneuta Mudarikwa and Maramba legislator Tichaona Karimazondo,
among others.
Chief Nyajina said the company’s representatives were
disrespectful and claimed to be connected to the highest offices on the land.
“What pained me the most is when this company told us
villagers are not important as we do not have title deeds to our land. In other
words, that means that those with mining certificates are now the custodians or
owners of the land and we do not matter anymore,” he said.
The traditional leader, who is resisting the takeover of
the entire village by the company without following necessary procedures, said
the Asian miners told him to look for alternative land for his subjects.
“Here are the questions ministers: If we award 300 hectares
to one person in the rural areas, where are our children going to stay? Where
will I put all those people? A Heijin representative openly told me and my
village heads to look for alternative land for our people — and I asked, where?
Is this the correct procedure which they followed?
“There should be consultations with the community first. My
word to Deputy minister Kambamura is that the way these blocks are being
parcelled out is not proper. We only see people coming with letters from the
Mines ministry stating that a certain piece of land is now theirs,” he said.
“We have other companies that have invested in our area.
They engaged us before they started mining operations. We told them of sacred
places that should not be disturbed and they listened. But this company
(Heijin) is not like that. I do not know where their powers are coming from. I
suggest that their powers be trimmed.”
Government officials then promised to summon the mining
company and Mashonaland East provincial mines officers to resolve the standoff.
Newsday
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