BINDURA – A Chinese company left behind a trail of destruction after carrying out mining activities in a national heritage site in Muzarabani district, Mashonaland Central.
Afrochine Smelting was controversially granted a chrome mining licence in the Mavhuradona Wilderness, which is listed as a heritage site by the National Museums and Monuments.
Afrochine maintains it has since abandoned the project, and company officials said their claim had been taken over by one Mashumba under an unclear arrangement.
Villagers nearby say the digging by the Chinese miner has left dozens of open holes – endangering wildlife and humans. Their water sources have also been interfered with, the villagers complained.
During a tour of the site, a ZimLive correspondent observed chrome mining in progress at a 21-meter-deep hole.
A white individual, who declined to identify himself, appeared to be supervising the mining activities.
“Who the fuck are you? I’m not mining here, I’m just contracting my machines,” he yelled at journalists.
Some locals who were working with him told journalists that they were granted mining rights by top government officials, but they would not name them.
Afrochine is a subsidiary of Tsingshan Group. The company is building a carbon steel plant in Chivhu, Mashonaland East province and was recently awarded a special grant for coal mining close to the Hwange National Park amid protests by environmentalists and animal conservationists. It also has operations in Chegutu district.
Mavhuradona Wilderness villagers say the Chinese miner left open holes at several sites which have become death traps for wildlife and humans.
“They drive through our homesteads with their excavators and machinery, leaving behind dust. We’ve nothing to eat or show for this mining in our backyards,” said one woman, who asked not to be named fearing victimisation.
She added: “They’re excavating along the mountain areas and our water source has dried up, we believe they interfered with the water table. We now have to walk a long distance to fetch water for our vegetable gardens.
“We’re not even consulted and animals are dying because of the pits they’re digging while doing their mining.”
Gorge Seremwe, the CEO of Mavhuradonha Wilderness Conservancy said the community was under siege from the mining activities taking place.
“They were not consulted in the setting up of Makura 100 Chrome Mine in the area and have raised concerns that mining activities by these Chinese in the drought prone area will dry up water for the vulnerable,” Seremwe said.
“The area has endangered wildlife with lots of lions and birds, and they’re all threatened. The mining being done by Afrochine is not sustainable for the environment.
“We’re advocating for the safekeeping of this environment and its inhabitants.”
A visit to Centenary mountains in the district established abandoned white granite blocks left by Chinese miners.
“They came here, and started digging up the mountain and taking down white granite blocks with their machinery,” said a man who identified himself as Sekuru Ngoma.
“Suddenly, they just vanished leaving behind a trail of destruction. They didn’t bother removing their granite blocks which they had extracted.”
