MINES ministry’s principal director Valentine Vera was yesterday grilled by stakeholders at the Alternative Mining Indaba in Bulawayo after he skirted questions on the legality of the recently constituted Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC).
BY OBEY MANAYITI
Tempers flared when Vera indicated that he would only respond after consulting his superiors.
“If you are sent to stand in for the minister, it means you should respond to our questions. You have been asked a lot of questions here. For example, people in Marange are telling you they are drinking polluted water and want that corrected,” Chief Chipuriro said.
“What do you want people to do if you continuously say you are going to consult or to refer them to other organisations like EMA [Environmental Management Agency]? Please tell people the truth and if you can’t let the minister himself come and address us.”
Stakeholders also expressed displeasure at the manner in which the Mines ministry was handling grievances from communities affected by mining activities.
Musikavanhu legislator Prosper Mutseyami raised concern over the legality of the ZCDC and the manner it was being managed.
“Where are you getting that mandate from? We also understand that ZCDC is operating without a properly constituted board seven months after its formation. Why are we having one person, the permanent secretary, doing everything?”
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Vera said the decision to form ZCDC was made by Cabinet.
Among other grievances were the plight of relocated Marange people who are living in abject poverty, deteriorating security situation in Chiadzwa, the plight of retrenched diamond workers, unsustainable mining that has raised serious environmental problems in several parts of the country, including Mutoko, and failure to fully recognise artisanal miners despite the pledge to do so.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mines minister Walter Chidakwa said last year the sector recorded negative growth in most minerals apart from gold and platinum mainly because of depressed mineral prices on the international market.
