BY OBERT SIAMILANDU CHIEF Whange of Hwange district has accused miners of severely degrading his area and has urged his subjects to take action by demand that the companies rehabilitate the affected areas.
Speaking at the annual Kamandama disaster commemorations by the Centre for Natural Resources Governance at Hwange Colliery last week, Chief Whange urged communities in the coal mining area to desist from folding their hands and watch coal mining companies polluting their water sources and causing land degradation.
“Severe land degradation by mining companies is now a cause of concern in Hwange,” Chief Whange said.
“These companies need to carry out the best mining practices in every mining situation and communities need to benefit from mining activities.”
Environment Buddies Zimbabwe executive director Shamiso Winnet Mupara urged communities to identify underlying opportunities in any environmental challenge caused by miners.
“Mining is indispensable to the economic development of countries endowed with mineral resources. At the same time the effects that mining activities has on local people and the environment is widespread in these economies.
“While the contributions of the mining sector in Zimbabwe to communities are adequately appreciated, the impact of mining activities has also received its fair share of criticism especially from the general public,” Mupara said.
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