Hwange
Minister Moyo: We’re working to reduce Hwange pollution
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Minister of Provincial Affairs Richard Moyo has responded to complaints from Hwange residents about pollution in the area, saying that the government is engaging with stakeholder companies to address the issue.
“We are engaging stakeholder companies that are all operating in coal mining in Hwange, working in collaboration with the Environmental Management Agency and Hwange Colliery, to address the issue of pollution,” Minister Moyo said.
“We are trying our level best as Matabeleland North province government to address the issue of pollution in Hwange. If you look closely now, the fluid that gets in the Deka river has been reduced. We have also tried to quell the pollution in the air and we are still trying to address that.”
Residents of Ingagula have been complaining about excessive dust pollution from haulage trucks and coal mining activities, which they say is causing respiratory diseases and other health problems.
Despite numerous petitions and engagements with authorities, including the Zimbabwe Power Company and Chinese companies involved in coal mining, the community remains vulnerable to the health risks.
Councillor Bryn Chikumbo has warned that the community is “sitting on a health time bomb” and has called for urgent action to address the pollution. Residents have also expressed frustration and anger over the lack of action from authorities to address the issue.
Health experts have warned that continuous exposure to air pollution such as coal ash and soil dust may lead to serious health problems, including pneumoconiosis, a group of interstitial lung diseases caused by breathing in certain kinds of dust particles that damage a person’s lungs.
The community is calling for safe mining practices and urgent action to address the pollution. Area MP Daniel Molokele has assured residents that he will raise the issue in Parliament.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Residents of Mkhosana in Victoria Falls are living in fear as a large herd of buffaloes continues to invade their communities, destroying vegetable gardens and posing a threat to human life.
https://x.com/Vic_Falls_Live/status/1853724332553314445/video/1
According to eyewitnesses, the buffaloes, estimated to be around 30-40, have been encroaching into the communities since June, with some residents reporting that they have been vandalizing their gardens as early as 8 PM.
David Mpofu
David Mpofu, a resident of Mkhosana, expressed his concern, saying, “We are living in fear because these buffaloes come every day, destroying our vegetable gardens. We want the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority rangers to take action and chase them away.”
Trymore Ndolo
The Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association member, Trymore Ndolo, who was also at the scene on Monday night close to the CBZ houses, expressed frustration, stating that the buffaloes are becoming a menace and encroaching into high-density residential areas.
The issue of human-wildlife conflict is escalating due to the ongoing drought, with elephants also encroaching into communities in search of water and food.
Residents are crying foul as their source of food is being destroyed.
Last week, a large herd of buffaloes even invaded the Victoria Falls City Council water works premises, taking security guards by surprise and forcing them to hide.
In Mkhosana, the buffaloes refused to budge until Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials arrived and chased them away.
Residents are calling for urgent action to address the situation and ensure their safety and security.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
An underground coal mine fire has broken out at the Zimbali mine at M3 Block, close to Madumabisa, Village 2 and 5 in Hwange.
According to a resident, Rejoice Ndlovu, the blaze is believed to have started due to exposed coal on the surface and has been raging for several hours.
Firefighters from the Hwange Local Board and other emergency services are on the scene, but their efforts to contain the fire have so far been unsuccessful.
Residents nearby have been advised to take precautionary measures to ensure their safety.
Councillor Brian Chikumbo from Ingagula has raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the incident.
“We only heard about the fire through word of mouth after we saw some smokes in the morning,” he said.
“There has been no official communication from the mine operators to alert the communities or provide information about the situation.”
Chikumbo expressed fears about the potential health risks to nearby communities, particularly the spread of tuberculosis (TB) and injuries from underground coal fires.
Historically, many children have been injured by seamless coal fires in this area.
The Zimbali coal mine is operated by Chinese investors, and Chikumbo criticized the lack of transparency and accountability.
WATCH|
https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1852375255530016841?s=46
https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1852344680001757419?s=46
More to follow…
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