For decades, dozens of families from Murape village in Ward 11, Bikita West have relied on water from a protected well at Nollen Farm for domestic use but the construction of a slime dam by Bikita Minerals (Sinomine) has left them, together with their livestock, stranded without access to a reliable safe source of water.
The slime dam, in which the mine deposits residue from its
mining activities has put over 200 people in a tight spot, especially in the
face of the El Nino-induced drought that has seen people and animals scrambling
for limited water sources.
The situation, according to Ward 11 councilor Lawrence
Vhovha is so dire that some villagers now have to travel for about 4km to fetch
water from the nearby Badmore Primary School.
“Some of the affected people have been here since the late
1990s and have always relied on this water source. The construction of the
slime dam came as a surprise as we were never consulted prior, of which we were
always aware that the water source was in the premises of the mining company.
“When construction started last year, people were still
able to sneak in to fetch water but the situation has worsened since the
trenches are now deeper such that it is now impossible to get through,” said
Cllr Vhovha.
Efforts to get a comment from the mine were futile as the
Public Relations Officer Collen Nikisi was not going through and not did
respond to questions sent to him on WhatsApp.
In a press statement, Bikita Institute of Land and
Development (BILAD) condemned the development and said this was a violation of
human rights as the community was being denied access to clean water.
“Dozens of families in Murape Village, which is in the old
Nollen Farm are now fetching water for domestic use from an open gully because
Bikita Minerals closed off a deep protected well that had been their source of
portable water for decades. Bikita Minerals (Sinomine) claims that the well is
located within its mining lease area and forgets that villagers have the right
to clean water as provided for by the constitution.
“By suddenly banning access to the well without providing
an alternative, the company has violated that right. Given this, BILAD condemns
the apparent disregard of genuine concerns of villagers,” reads the statement.
BILAD also noted that the construction of the slime dam was
battering the environment due to serious leaks from the dam.
“Communities living close to the Bikita Minerals Slimes Dam
are complaining that the environment is being battered by serious leaks from
the dam. We are convinced that the dam was not properly built and is not fit
for purpose. This is a direct result of the hurried and non-consultative
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) done by the mining company.
“The toxic waste and pollutants that leak from the dam pose
a severe danger to the environment, the people, and animals. BILAD made its
assessment and found that the dam was not properly sited and should have been
built elsewhere further from human settlements,” the statement reads.
Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association (BIRRA) also
wrote to Bikita Rural District Council saying the cutting off of the reliable
water source has left villagers at God’s mercy as they are forced to get water
from streams and ponds which have contaminated water from the mine.
In the letter, addressed to Bikita Rural District Council
(RDC) Chief Executive Officer, District Development Coordinator, and
Chairperson, BIRRA said the construction of the dam was worsening an already
bad situation caused by the ongoing drought and cholera outbreak.
“The construction of the dam has left us without access to
safe drinking water forcing many residents to resort to unprotected sources,
streams, and ponds with water contaminated by chemicals from mining operations.
We are losing our livestock daily.
“Additionally the ongoing drought has further reduced the
availability of water resources leading to increased competition and conflict
among community members and livestock,” reads the letter.
BIRRA requested Bikita RDC to consider drilling a new
borehole for the community as part of its essential responsibilities.
“We therefore, understanding that it is your mandate to
provide safe water as part of your essential responsibilities, demand that
Bikita RDC, conduct a thorough assessment of the community’s water needs and
identify a suitable location for the new borehole; secure funding and resources
necessary for drilling and installation of the borehole including any necessary
equipment and infrastructure.
“The RDC must also engage the community in the planning and
implementation process to ensure local ownership and sustainability of the
project as well as establish a maintenance plan to ensure the continued
functionality of the borehole,” the letter reads.
There is also an issue with a number of families who now
have to vacate the area as they are said to have had settled in the mine’s
lease area, with the construction of the dam now posing a risk to their lives
due to the residue’s fumes.
“About eight or ten families that were settled in the
premises are forced to relocate from the farm because they are at risk due to
the proximity of the dam. Some have already vacated the place while others are
still in the process of removing roofing sheets and other building materials
from their houses as they prepare to leave. Some of the houses are on the verge
of sinking and it is quite sad to witness,” said Cllr Vhovha.
Sources say the mine is of the argument that lab tests were
done to determine the safety of the water from the well, after which it was
found to be contaminated, results that were refuted by the villagers who
insisted that they had been using the same water source for 25 years without
any problems.
“Villagers disagree with whatever findings the mine claim
to have on the water from the well because all of a sudden the water is said to
be not safe for drinking despite them using the same source of water for over
two decades, just because the mine wants to justify its construction of the
slime dam,” the source said.
The situation is also affecting school children from Bikita
Fashu who used to walk approximately 2km through the farm going to school.
“Children who used to take shortcuts through the farm on
their way to school are now walking for longer distances, more than double the
distance they used to walk since they are taking a longer route around the
slime dam.
“We are aware that the premise belongs to the mining
company and they have rights over the land but our plea is for the responsible
authority to avail another source of water outside the premise because people
are now at risk of the cholera pandemic in the country,” said Cllr Vhovha.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in November last year
commissioned petalite and spodumene processing plants at the mine, valued at
US$ 300 million at the time while urging the mine to uphold high ethical
standards for the benefit of communities.
“I implore Bikita Minerals to undertake their operations
with the highest ethical standards, professionalism, honesty, and integrity and
we seek to realize sustainable prosperity that benefits all Zimbabweans,” said
Mnangagwa at the time. TellZimNews
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