WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-11-29 Time: 19:00:02 Posted By: News Poster
By Jennifer Dube
Villagers in Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe area in Mashonaland East province have expressed concern over mining activities by a Chinese company, which they accuse of endangering their lives and that of animals along the Mazowe river.
The villagers in Zambu under headman Mushambi in Chief Chinhanga’s area complained of water pollution and siltation being caused by disposal of waste by a Mingehang Sino Africa Mining Investment gold milling plant, which is a few metres from the river.
The company uses pipes to draw water from the river to the nearby plant while a trench from the plant takes the contaminated water back into the river.
“This is dangerous to our lives and that of our animals,” said Cornelius Mushambi, who lives in the area. “We now fetch water from a borehole in their premises for fear of being poisoned.
Mushambi added: “Again, all this soil that is being deposited into the river is disturbing the flow of water which is now always dirty.”
The villagers said there were many Chinese nationals mining gold in the area, with some being accused of panning for gold on the river bed.
Charles Kanyasa (26) who had come to deliver ore to the mill plant accused the Chinese of exploiting desperate miners in the area.
Kanyasa, who claimed to own a mine in the same area, said a joint venture between him and the Chinese ensures that he does the mining and they do the milling.
“When I am done with the digging, they come with a tipper to carry the ore,” he said. “I pay eight grammes of gold for each load, usually up to 17 tonnes, for transport and one gram per tonne milled.
He added: “After everything, the company then buys the gold at U$34 per gram and at the end of it all, the returns are usually very low.”
Villagers who work at the Chinese mine and plant said the working conditions and wages were pathetic.
They are paid a paltry U$3 for 12 hour shifts or even beyond.
One villager said that what the local people were getting from the Chinese were just “trenches” as they never plough back to the host community.
“They arrived in November last year but till now, they have done nothing to develop this area from which they are enriching themselves,” said the villager. “The roads leading to the mill are still as dusty as they have always been and these people have since found a way of skirting around the dust roads when going to Harare and other areas.”
But others said they were benefiting.
One man claimed that he was in a joint venture whereby he gets 51 percent returns while the Chinese get 49 percent.
“They provide equipment, including grenades, compactors and tippers,” he said. “So, we go to my mine and we dig using their equipment.
“We then go and mill at their plant and when we realise a significant amount of gold, each party gets its share.”
However, if the returns are too low the Chinese get everything to compensate for use of their equipment, he said.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesperson Steady Kangata said under the water act, miners were prohibited from discharging water back into a water source.
Kangata said chemicals like cyanide and mercury which are normally used at milling plants are dangerous to people and animals.
“I do not understand how these people are being allowed to discharge the used water back into the river because under the Environmental Management Act, an Environmental Impact Assessment to establish how one will minimise the negative effects of his activities and how they will enhance the positive effects, has to be done before anyone is allowed to commence mining,” Kangata said.
He added that it will be illegal for anyone to mine on the river bed because that is part of alluvial mining which was prohibited by government in 2002.
Mingehang Sino Africa Mining Investment Mill Plant manager Action Kasuso said there was nothing wrong with their operations.
“As far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong with our activities,” he said. “The ministry of mines and other government officials carried out a geological survey and gave us some instructions on how to conduct our business.
He added: “We are currently working on ensuring that the used water does not go back into the river because yes, we are also aware that it is dangerous to both people and animals.”
Kasuso said he discussed the issue of salaries with company management last month and it was agreed to increase the pay to $5 per day. This is still to be effected.
Original Source: 
Original date published: 29 November 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201011291622.html?viewall=1