BUHERA - Although Zimbabwe attains 31 years of independence in April, villagers of Buhera Central under Chief Nyashanu say they have nothing to celebrate. They continue to live in perpetual fear of landmines planted during the liberation struggle in the 70s.
Villagers likened their place to a war zone. Living in a minefield area is no different from living in a war zone as you are always living in a fear of being hurt or killed any day, said a 56-year-old amputee, Maxwell Kahudya, whose right leg and hand were amputated after he stepped on a landmine while herding cattle two years ago. I was born with all my body intact and I even took part in the struggle to free the country. Now I am a victim of our governments failure to demine our area soon after independence in 1980. Some people decided to misuse donor funds and made other people suffer, said Kahudya.
The father of three lost his leg and hand on a Monday morning while driving his cattle to pasture. He survived by the grace of God after Good Samaritans rushed him to a nearby hospital. The government should channel resources towards the demining exercise to make our places safe for farming and inhabitation. The army should stop useless recruitment exercises because we are not in a war situation. They should focus on demining, said Kahudya. He is not the only victim of landmines in Buhera. Many others have suffered silently after being seriously injured or maimed.
Livestock killed
The landmines, which have also endangered the livestock, were planted during the particularly Maridzakowa Hills that stretch about 150 km to the Mozambique border. Local kraal head Jaison Gotosa said: We need places to do farming and pasture for our livestock but the mines have impacted heavily on development in this area. We have to discourage people from farming around here, because it is very risky.
He added: We appeal to the inclusive government, through our Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, to expedite the demining exercise. We also lose livestock, which is our only source of wealth. Gotosa said villagers had lost close to 100 cattle and several goats to landmines. Chief Nyashanu, who controls the Maridzakohwa hills stretch, said he had appealed to government to demine the area but nothing had ever been done about it.
The chief said it was sad that people who fought in the war of liberation struggle continue to be victims of the mine traps they survived during the war. We will continue to lobby the government to do something about this situation. We are not in a warzone and our people have a right to live happily like any other citizens, he said.
Help at hand
Member of Parliament for Buhera Central, Tangwara Matimba, from the MDC-T said: The demining exercise of landmines should be a top priority. I am very worried that 30 years after the country attained independence some places are yet to be demined. Mines are for war and we are not in a war so people should live freely. We are pushing the inclusive government to prioritise the issue of demining, said Matimba.
The former Zanu (PF) government has not done much to improve the lives of landmine victims. But the Landmine Victims Support Trust (LVST), an organisation that seeks to assist the victims with income-generating projects and counselling, has moved in to breathe a new lease of life into victims. These people need to survive we are doing income-generating projects such as poultry and horticulture so that they can fend for their families. We believe these people still have value to our society despite being handicapped, said Claudius Moyo, the coordinator.
Awareness
This year we have initiated awareness programmes to educate people living in mine infested areas on the dangers of mines and how to respond when they discover mines in their areas, said Moyo. He added that the trust would also source funds from donors to procure equipment such as wheelchairs, clutches and artificial legs. An official from the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) department responsible for the demining exercise throughout Zimbabwe declined to be named, saying he had no authority to talk to press, but said the army had had some successes and challenges in its quest to remove landmines.
He blamed people for removing beacons and wire reflectors that are used to warn and restrict people in areas that have not been de-mined. During the exhibitions events such as Agricultural Show and Trade Fairs, the army always displays pictures of injured people and animals to remind people how mines can be dangerous to human and animal life.
Last year on the occasion of celebrating Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day (ZDF), President Robert Mugabe attributed slow pace of demining to restrictive measures imposed on him and about 200 individuals of his inner circle and companies by western countries. But, the western countries rejected this assertion and maintained that the so-called sanctions were only targeted against perpetrators of gross human rights abuse and vote-rigging.
Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Mine Ban Treaty, which bans the use, production and stockpiling of landmines.
Factfile
1,5 million mines scattered across the country ZNA stats
1500 killed by mines Oct 2010 figure
6 landmine regions – Musengezi, Burma, Sheba, Sango border, Risutu, Victoria Falls/Mlibisi
only 1 cleared Vic Falls
Post published in: Opinions