A NUMBER of villagers in Hwange, Matabeleland North province, have lost their livestock to water poisoning blamed on water pollution of Kalope Dam by a mining company.
This emerged in Parliament last week when Hwange East lawmaker Joseph Bonda sought answers from the Mines and Mining Development ministry on the matter.
Bonda asked deputy minister Polite Kambamura to update the House on measures being taken to curb water pollution and dam siltation by South Mine mining activities upstream of Kalope Dam.
“I would like to point out that the issue of water in Kalope, which is being spilled into South Mine in Deka, has no plan for purification,” the lawmaker said.
“It is going straight into the river. If our cattle drink that water, because of sulphur, they are dying.Humans and goats are also being affected.
“Still on that, I would like to say, I am not satisfied with the response that I got on the Change Kalope Dam.”
He also revealed that there is another mining company that is taking water from the same dam, resulting in clashes with locals over water usage.
Kambamura said the ministry would engage the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to investigate the matter.
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“Penalties will be given, definitely, if ever there are any activities that are found illegal,” he said.
“Also, we discourage mining operations from competing for water with the locals.
“We will make sure that we come on the ground together with EMA, do some test works on the water that is being discharged into Kalope Dam and Deka River so that there will be a licensing solution and our livestock and our people will be saved.”
Kambamura suggested that mining companies drill boreholes for the communities they are operating in so as to avoid clashes.
“They need to build some dam walls or some dams specifically for mining operations and recycle their water specifically for mining operations,” he said.
He added that the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill introduces stronger protection for local residents affected by mining operations, requiring companies to obtain a corporate social responsibility certificate, among others.
“These are the physical structures and operational practices designed to stop silt and contaminants at the source such as surface runoff control and water diversion trenches.”
