BY BLESSED MHLANGA/ RUVIMBO MUCHENJE
CLOSE to 30 families resettled by government at the foot of Zimplats tailing dam in Chegutu need to be urgently relocated because they face imminent danger in the event that the wall collapses, the company has said.
Zimplats managing director Stanley Segula has called on government to urgently move the families before disaster befalls them.
“We are, therefore, appealing to your office (Mines minister Winston Chitando) to assist us in reaching a speedy conclusion to the resettlement of families surrounding our tailings storage facility in Selous… extreme weather events can lead to the breach of the tailings dam and this can lead to destruction of infrastructure and loss of lives. It is in this regard that we wish to relocate families residing within the tailings zone of influence,” Segula said.
Zimpats, which has pledged to fund in full the relocation of the families resettled under the A2 land resettlement programme said it has been raising its concerns with government since 2004.
Chitando pledged his support to ensure that the families are relocated to a safer area, saying it was an urgent matter.
He made the pledge as he received a donation of $500 000 from Zimplats, which went towards assisting Cyclone Idai victims.
The donation included 1 000 litres of diesel, 30 tonnes of beans, 500 litres of water treatment chemicals and medical supplies which included malaria treatment and antibiotics. Meanwhile, mobile operator Telecel Zimbabwe has donated groceries and clothing worth over $50 000 towards Cyclone Idai relief efforts.
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Telecel has also set up a merchant code on Telecash where its subscribers can send cash donations.
In a statement, the company said as at March 25, a total of $6 500 had been raised via Telecash.
“Telecel has matched the total individual donations made to this merchant code dollar for dollar, thus raising $13 000,” the company said in a statement.
“Over and above the $13 000 raised, Telecel Zimbabwe has added a further $7 000, culminating in a grand total of $20 000, which has been used to buy various groceries and other much-needed relief items.’
Telecel CEO Angeline Vere said: “I am greatly humbled by the spirit of togetherness shown by Telecel customers, staff and Zimbabwean citizens at large, who provided much-needed assistance in cash and kind during this tragic period to victims of Cyclone Idai.”
The company has set up collection centres at all its retail shops nationwide where to date 35 bales of clothing have been collected while various commodities such as mealie-meal, cooking oil, sanitary wear and other groceries have also been donated by well-wishers.
