An emotion-charged stakeholders meeting was held at Gwayi Hotel this week attended by members of the Gwayi Intensive Conservancy Area (ICA), National Parks and Wildlife Management officials. It emerged that the company, a joint venture between Chinese conglomerate Shandong Taishan Sunlight and Old Stone Investments, an obscure local company linked to senior Zimbabwe National Army officers, has already secured approval from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to carry out a full EIA – despite the first one having caused two aquifer bursts and disrupted local safari businesses.
Stakeholders said they had been side-lined from the assessment process and accused Environment Guardian Services (EGS), which did the assessment, of dishonesty in giving the project a thumbs up without consulting the ICA.
“We smell a rat here. Gwayi ICA is the custodian of the land, but members have been affected by the exploration activities have not been consulted,” said Langton Masunda, a safari operato4.
He disputed the claims of EGS consultant Michel Montana that the exploration exercise was completed with minimum environment degradation and to the satisfaction of the EMA. “Surely you cannot say minimum degradation when water aquifers are being destroyed. As I speak water is oozing from the ground at Chimwara and Good Luck farms because of the drilling,” said Masunda.
The ICA chairman, Mark Russell, also queried the consultation process. According to the EIA report the project is expected to bring foreign direct investment of $2,1 billion in four years and up to 4,500 jobs. The company’s managing director, Retired Colonel Charles Mugari, said the project would bring national benefits such as power generation, chemical and brick moulding plants.
“Only people who are not doing anything on their properties are most vocal on this issue,” he said.
Since the latest exploration began there has been an outcry from environmentalists, wildlife conservationists and the local communities. Liberation Mining, which was granted a special licence to prospect for coal and methane gas in Hwange and Binga, has been accused of endangering the lives of humans and animals by releasing waste water into the Lukosi and Deka rivers. Poaching has been on the increase in Chiredzi River, Buye and Save Valley Conservancies where Zanu (PF) and military officials have grabbed concessions.
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A person like Langton masunda should not comment on issues of this nature. He was allocated a farm and he has not done anything on this farm except vandalising this farm. He spends all his time at Halfway Hotel and he is perpetualy drank 24/7. How can he comment on such issues. This is not a contrivesal venture, operations are done above board and the laws of the country are observed through out. One wonders how the country can fail to exploit it own resources and generate the much needed power to enhance its production capacity and listen to comments by failures like Masunda.