Marange mining firms sued over pollution
Five Marange residents have dragged three diamond mining firms based in that area tocourt, accusing the companies of discharging human waste and other chemicals in nearby rivers...Anjin Investments (Private) Limited, Marange Resources (Private) Limited and Diamond Mining Company (Private) Limited were cited as respondents. The mining companies are involved in diamond exploration and mining in the Marange communal lands. According to court papers, in conducting their mining activities, the firms are discharging untreated waste material and effluent into the Odzi, Save and Singwizi rivers. “Further the first to the third defendants (mining firms) discharge untreated human waste into the rivers. These discharges heavily pollute the Save and Odzi rivers resulting in the rivers being silted, muddied, dirty and loaded with chemical and metal deposits including iron, chromium and nickel,” the court was told...They also argued that the pollution had destroyed the aquatic life like fish, thereby destroying the ecosystem...[T]he mining companies entered special pleas, arguing that the residents had not exhausted their remedies under the Environmental Management Act for the protection of their rights...