Granite Mining-A cause for concern in Zimbabwe

 

The issuing of a mining permit to a Chinese Mining company Heijing to prospect for Black Granite in the Uzumba  area in Zimbabwe has caused a lot of political, environmental and social disharmony and bickering between residents, government officials and businessmen. 

The bone of contention is the ancestral land of the Uzumba residents where the stones are going to be extracted by Heijing.

One resident who is a Liberation War stuggle veteran vowed to vote for the Opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa (a young and vibrant politician ) in the 2023 elections if the government doesn't stop Heijing from evicting them from their land to pave way for its mining activities. 

According to one resident, The government never did an Environmental Impact Assessment or a stake holder consultation process to get the residents views and opinions on the mining project. 

"Our relatives graves are in this area,in those mountains where the Chinese wants to blast and extract black granite and in our culture those areas are sacred" said the resident. 

"We wont be vacating this land,This is the only land that we have!!We were never offered an alternative land to relocate to!!"

"Do they want us to live in the trees like birds?If thats what they want we are ready we wont vacate this land we fought hard for it" declared another angry resident. 

Granite mining has caused a lot of land degradation, noise and air pollution and habitat loss for animals who stay in granite kopjes.

More Environmental Activists are calling for the respect of the rights of Uzumba residents and the cancellation of the mining licence and agreement between the Zimbabwean government and the Chinese mining company until a solution has been reached between all stakeholders .

Mining Scandal