The BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has rejected two controversial applications for a special mining grant near the city’s supply dams.
The latest developments came amid fears of water contamination and worsening illegal mining activities around critical water sources.
Councillors resolved to recommend that the application for consent for a Special Mining Grant by Terraforge Mining Company (Pvt) Ltd and All Two Mining and Plant Hire Services (Pvt) Ltd “be not acceded to”.
According to the latest finance and development committee minutes, the matter triggered heated debate, with councillors warning that illegal mining was already taking place around supply dams and could result in chemical contamination.
Bulawayo has in recent years battled rising cases of illegal gold panning and sand extraction around its supply dams, including Inyankuni, Lower Ncema and Umzingwane catchment areas.
Council officials have repeatedly raised alarm over environmental degradation, siltation and the possible use of harmful chemicals such as mercury.
Keep Reading
- Bulawayo struggles to clear housing backlog
- Bulawayo struggles to clear housing backlog
- Egodini developer changes tune
- Outcry over city’s new rates, tariffs
The city blames the activities for accelerating silt build-up, which reduces dam storage capacity and worsens Bulawayo’s perennial water shortages, especially during drought years when dam levels fall drastically.
Councillor Mellisa Mabeza opposed the granting of special consent, arguing that “already there were unlawful mining activities affecting the supply dams”.
She warned that mining activities “had posed significant risks to the filling up of the supply dams hence the need to protect the dams and residents from any chemical contamination from the mining activities.”
Mabeza urged the committee to physically inspect the affected area before taking a final position, proposing that “the committee should carry out a site visit to appreciate the situation on the ground.”
Councillor Tavengwa Zidya questioned how the new applications differed from other mining activities occurring illegally near key water sources.
Zidya told the committee that illegal mining had already been identified “near the Inyankuni Dam and Umzingwane River” and warned that it was “hindering the dam from reaching its full capacity.”
Councillor Meli Thobeka Moyo suggested that “certain sensitive issues should not be open to the public” and called for a review of council’s mining policy.
Chamber secretary Sikhangele Zhou dismissed calls for secrecy, stressing that land issues should not be hidden from residents.
“Matters such as land alienation should not be treated as confidential, but instead handled in a transparent and open manner...a matter of public interest like the present could not be under confidential cover,” she noted.
The minutes further show that the committee initially agreed to defer the issue pending a site visit.
However, the planned visit failed to take place on April 28 and when the matter returned to the committee, councillors indicated that developments at national level had overtaken the process.
Councillor Ntando Ndlovu said the site visit was no longer necessary because the matter had been “overtaken by events”.
“The minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe had recently met with policy makers and had strongly spoken against mining near dams,” he told the committee.
Ndlovu proposed that the application be rejected, a motion which was seconded by councillor Mxolisi Mahlangu.
The committee then adopted the recommendation.
“Resolved to recommend: That the application for consent for a special mining grant from Terraforge Mining Company Private Limited and All Two Mining and Plant Hire Services be not acceded to.”
Meanwhile, the town clerk Christopher Dube acknowledged that illegal mining was worsening.
He told councillors that “poverty was fuelling the illegal mining” and suggested that regularising the sector might be a solution because the council had failed to effectively control such activities.
He also said other stakeholders needed to be considered, including the ministry of Mines, the Environmental Management Agency and Umzingwane Rural District Council.