Parly Committee to visit proposed site for cement plant

Conrad Mupesa-Mashonaland West Bureau

THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture Mechanisation and Irrigation is set to visit the site where WHI-Zim Construction Material Investments will establish a US$1 billion cement plant at Magunje Growth Point.

This follows Tuesday’s visit by representatives of Magunje community to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee to submit their grievances regarding the setting up of the plant near Kemureza Dam and Magunje Growth Point.

The project is a partnership between Labenmon Investments and China-based West International Holdings.

Hurungwe Rural District Council (HRDC) envisions the growth of Magunje into a town, with the proposed cement plant set to aid its growth.

The representatives were led by the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations of Residents Trust (ZNOART) Mashonaland West leadership, a concerned village head and other local political figures.

The delegation, which has enlisted the services of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, an anti-government NGO, presented their case before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands citing issues around non-compliance of legal procedures by the investors.

In their submissions, the community representatives contested the procedure that was followed to obtain the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate to the investor by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

They claimed, that villagers or residents, around the proposed site, were not approached to sign consent affidavits.

EMA’s provincial spokesperson, Mr Munyaradzi Nhariswa said an all-stakeholder consultative meeting was carried out, including gathering submissions from the residents and villagers.

“We took on board the views and opinions of interested and affected parties,” said Nhariswa.

The residents’ representatives also suggested that the project be moved to Kemapondo, over 40 kilometres from the initial site, as it was a threat to the water body that supplies water to the Magunje Growth Point and habitants of the 2.3 Infantry.

However, ZINWA’s spokesperson, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga told The Herald that the project proponent had approached the parastatal as one of the key stakeholders of the cement plant project as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment consultations.

“ZINWA gave its professional and technical input as the country’s water resources management lead agency.

“The project will not be using or drawing water from the already committed Kemureza Dam as the firm concerned shall be drilling boreholes for their water requirements,” she said.

Apart from technical experts from ZINWA, officials from the Hurungwe Rural District Council (HRDC) and Environmental Management Agency (EMA) also contributed in the initial stages of a project that also has blessings of Government.

Labenmon Pvt Ltd representative, Mr Thomas Chidzomba said the investor had nothing to hide. “Our project is clear and shall follow all the country’s laws. In addition, the plant is going to rely on technology which minimises or eradicates air pollution.

“We will also not pollute the Kemureza Dam as we will not draw water from it for our operations,” he told The Herald.

West International Holding has constructed a similar project in Ethiopia, which has a capacity to produce at least 15,000 tonnes of cement per day.

Ethiopian Prime Minister inaugurated the US$600 million Chinese-built Lemi National Cement Factory in September this year.