Granite-exporting town destroyed

There is little benefit to the local people whose land produces the rare and valuable granite that is exported to South Africa as well as Italy, Argentina and the United States. One thing is clear, though, their environment is being destroyed and they remain poor.

Rural District Chief Executive Officer, Peter Sigauke, likened it to day-light robbery.

“The villagers near the mine wallow in poverty, struggle to eke out an existence. The people of Mutoko are not even getting peanuts from the miners, but shells from the peanuts. This is tantamount to utter day-light robbery.”

Indeed the price that the black granite fetches on the international market is huge – US$600 dollars for a square metre.

Some 95 per cent of the granite is exported and five per cent is used locally; mostly for making expensive tombstones that are bought by the rich. The stones are also used at the Heroes Acres burial ground.

Pricey tombstones

A tombstone costs over US$500 depending with the size.

Mutuso Dhliwayo of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) said that the present mining systems in the country were destroying the environment and leaving the land bare for future generations.

There is a danger of irreversible land degradation. Already in Mutoko there is massive siltation of rivers that is caused by mining and the cutting down of trees.

In 1990 the Government of Zimbabwe classified the stone as a mineral, and began to take revenues from the companies doing the mining. In the process, they reduced the money that Mutoko council got from mining activities.

Before the intrusion by the Government, Mutoko council used to make decent earnings from the mining and was able to, among other things, build Mutoko High School, Mutoko District Office Complex and three clinics. That is no longer the case because the money is insufficient to sustain community projects.

An official from the government controlled Zimbabwe Mining Development Council (ZMDC) who refused to be named, said that even though the government had snatched royalties accrued from mining activities from Mutoko council, the money they were getting was too little.

“The state is receiving a paltry two per cent in royalties every year. Last year, the government received US$322 540 when the companies doing the mining produced 121 000 metric tonnes of black granite worth US$12.1 million.

Worlds biggest producer

ZMDC said that Mutoko district alone produced 75 per cent of the total black granite output in Zimbabwe, making it the biggest producer of the granite in the world.

The only money that Mutoko gets from the mining is $18 400 per year that is levied for development levies in terms of the Rural District Council Act.

Zanu (PF) claims to have a stronghold in Mutoko, and villagers during elections are forced into voting for Zanu (PF). Participating in National events is made mandatory.

Companies such as Finnex are aware of that and are visible during national events such as the celebrations for the Heroes’ and Independence Days in order to curry favour with the powerful politicians.

There are 10 companies with vested interests in Mutoko, but none of them have their offices in the district. Southern Granite, Rwenya, Flo Quet, Manwick, Guru Quarry, Alliviant and Keeling are some of the mines in Mutoko.

Emmanuel Nyanyiwa co-owner of Finnex Quarry Company said that the local community is not justified in its accusations.

“We have helped the community a lot. The people should appreciate that we are not mining gold or diamonds but granite. In order for the local community to benefit there must be a piece of legislation that says that we give a certain amount of money to the local communities. At the moment we are only paying the council rates, while the government is taking all the royalties.

It is, however, unfair for the community to say that we are not contributing to its development. We contribute food during national events such as the Independence Day.”

Nyanyiwa conceded that roads in the area were in a poor state and that the companies were destroying the environment.

Untold suffering

“We do not have a lot of money to develop the road network. Apart from that the people of Mutoko should realise that the quarry mines belong to the Government and we are going to fully exploit them,” said Nyanyiwa.

Dhliwayo said that quarry mining, which has contaminated the moral fabric of Mutoko, has caused untold suffering.

“There is a lot of environment degradation that is caused by mining activities. The communities are harmed by noise and air pollution, destruction of scenic mountains, water pollution, siltation of water sources, and destruction of cultural sites.”

Sigauke wants the Mutoko council to take control of the granite rocks. “The rural council should be given more control over mining of black granite. This should include the power to offer mining claims to companies and the claiming of royalties.”

However, such demands are impossible unless if the government amends the Mines and Mineral Act which gives government control of all minerals and revenue from minerals in the country.

” $12.1 million earned per year is not spent in Mutoko. It is being taken by individuals who build mansions in Harare and sometimes empires outside Zimbabwe,” said Denford Musanhi who is a councillor in Mutoko.