Call for mining ban in dam catchment area

On Wednesday, Bulawayo councillors pinned Minister Sipepa Nkomo down to explain how the dam would be affected by the coal mining operations.
The councillors spoke during a meeting on the outstanding water projects that include the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP), which has been on the cards since 1912.
“We have got a problem with the Gwayi-Shangani Dam when it comes to the issue of mines surrounding the catchment area of the dam,” said Ward 14 Councillor Phinias Ndlovu.

“Can the minister clarify how that issue would be handled.”
The councillors echoed the sentiments of several stakeholders who have expressed concern at the decision to allow mining operations within the dam’s catchment area.

Minister Sipepa Nkomo said his position was that mining activities within the dam’s catchment area should be stopped.
“I am told the Government issued permits to those mines for exploration. We want to have the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on that issue,” said Minister Sipepa Nkomo.
“We cannot have mining operations there. We do not want them. We have said it several times that we do not want those mines because they would pollute the dam water.

“Again when that dam is complete the surrounding areas run the risk of being flooded. Those mines would also be flooded.”
The newly licensed companies are Makomo Investments, WK Blasting, Clidder, Apex and Liberation Mining.

Some stakeholders among them traditional leaders and wildlife farmers said they were not consulted over the issue and argued that their concerns were not taken into consideration when mines were granted permits to mine in the area.

They said mining operations would result in the displacement of people and scare away the game and ultimately destroy the tourism business.
Others said mining activities pose serious health and environmental hazards, especially to the Gwayi-Shangani Dam site that would be fed by streams from all over the catchments area.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu has also responded to the issue by inviting the concerned stakeholders to engaged his ministry.
According to the Mines and Minerals Act, mining takes precedence over everything else.

Minister Mpofu is on record saying the licensed companies in question have got their EIAs.
When completed Gwayi-Shangani Dam has a capacity of holding 635 million cubic metres of water. The construction of the dam started in 2005 but was stopped two years later.

The dam is situated at the confluence of Gwayi and Shangani Rivers and is a major component of the NMZWP, viewed as the lasting solution to water problems in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South.