‘Mine blasts threaten houses and schools in Pumula’ 7 October 2023

Priscila Ngwenya is not the only resident in Pumula North suburb, Bulawayo, who is worried that her house might collapse anytime following the ongoing blasts from a Chinese quarry mine. Some residents blame the blasts from Hualin Quarry Mine for cracks to their houses. Most residents in the suburb fear their houses will collapse any minute and they will not have anywhere to stay or anything to leave as a legacy for their children. Hualin quarry mine was given the nod to operate in the suburb by Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and the contract is valid for 10 years. An investigation by CITE in partnership with Zimbabwe Environmental Law Society Association (ZELA) revealed that the schools and the houses close to the mining site have now developed cracks following the heavy blasts at the mine which the residents likened to an earthquake. The blasts which normally happen in the morning and in the evening also triple the ZESA transformer which is also located close to the mine.

…She added, “We live in fear as they do this when children are just knocked off from school, the school might even collapse.” Another resident said the blast destroyed the door frame, windows and her precast wall. “I now fear that the wall might collapse any time. It started as a small line but now it has even destroyed the door frame. Another crack has expanded to the electricity lines, and I fear that it might explode anytime,” she said…The resident added, “EMA was moving around and told us that the mine’s contract has expired and asked us whether they should renew the contract, but I told them that on my own analysis I don’t want this company here.” “We fear that if there is heavy flooding here, our houses might sink in, we are not even sure whether the underground is still safe as it feels like an earthquake whenever there is a blast.” Meanwhile, another resident Celani Webster Sibanda said the other challenge is the Chinese Company is located 100 metres away from a power station and every time there is a mine blast, residents lose power.

…Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Permanent Secretary, Pfungwa Kunaka, confirmed that the Ministry of mines received the report of Hualin quarry mine. “We have checked with our Provincial Mining Director for Matabeleland North in Bulawayo who has confirmed that his office had received the complaints about the blasting activities at Haulin quarry mine, a registered mine situated in ward 17, Pumula, Bulawayo,” Kunaka said. Kunaka said upon receipt of the complaints, the Provincial Office sent its inspectors to the ground who have since advised the miner on appropriate mining methods. “The Ministry is yet to establish evidence of cracked houses as raised by residents,” said the mining ministry official. Efforts to access Hualin Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from EMA have been unfruitful.