"Chinese miners pollute Hwange water sources" 8 March 2023

THE Environmental Management Agency (Ema) has pounced on two Chinese coal mining companies after villagers in Hwange’s Makwika area complained that the firms were discharging pollutants into their water sources.

The villagers claim that the pollutants have caused massive deaths of fish and other aquatic life in the village dams and rivers.

Greater Whange Residents Trust chairperson Fidelis Chima said: “We received information that certain coal mining companies are discharging coal emissions into the water point at Makwika village, resulting in death of fish, and sadly people are selling the fish to residents of Makwika.

“We have, however, engaged Ema and they promised to make investigations. We have confidence that Ema will act on the matter and bring perpetrators to justice. This is happening at RAM 12 water point, a small dam near Makwika village.”

Ema provincial manager Chipo Mpofu-Zuze confirmed receiving the report.

“Yes we received a report of this nature from an anonymous caller on March 2. We conducted investigations at Open Cast Water Point Number 3 Hwange Colliery Company Mine Concession. Two companies Dingson Colliery and Zhong Jian Investments which are HCCL contractors were found (dewatering) pumping water out of their mining pits into the environment with the discharge getting into Number 3 main canal,” Mpofu-Zuze said. [...]