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Villagers Brace for Another Displacement. This Time, It’s for Coal

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BY GAMUCHIRAI MASIYIWA

Binga, Zimbabwe — When Esther Musaka was a little girl, a large lorry dropped her family off in the middle of the wilderness. It was the late 1950s, and construction of Kariba Dam was underway. As the newly formed Lake Kariba — to date, the world’s largest man-made reservoir — swallowed large tracts of fertile land, it displaced an estimated 57,000 Tonga people living on both sides of the Zambezi River, including Musaka. Now 72, she remembers her parents piecing together temporary shelters of grass and branches. It took them nearly a year to settle.

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Decades later, the trauma of that upheaval is being felt afresh as families in Muchesu, a village in the country’s west, brace for another displacement — this time, the result of a coal mining project. In 2010, Monaf Investments Private Ltd., a local firm, was granted a special permit for coal exploration in the region; this year, it is set to commence extraction. Mining accounts for 60% of Zimbabwe’s annual exports and contributes roughly 16% to the country’s gross domestic product; the government aims to build it into a $12 billion industry by 2023. Observers, however, warn that the rush to exploit the country’s mineral resources is leading to widespread upheaval. According to one 2019 report by a local watchdog, mining projects were slated to displace at least 30,000 families within five years.

Dust engulfs the road to Muchesu, the gravel-laden trucks and bulldozers moving back and forth on it barely visible. The mining company is widening the road to facilitate heavier traffic. In Muchesu, villagers have been told not to build any new structures. Thirty-eight families are slated for relocation in the first phase of the project, says local councilor Mathias Mwinde. Another 105 will be displaced in the second phase. No one knows for certain where they will be relocated.

At her age, Musaka is racked with anxiety at the prospect of starting anew. “Who will clear the land for me?” she asks sorrowfully, smoking a gourd pipe outside her home. “I am no longer fit to do all that.”

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Nothando Mugande Mudimba, 37, was born in Muchesu. When her grandparents settled here decades ago, they struggled with wild animals for years, and she worries she will have to, too. “It will be hard to safeguard our livestock if we are moved to the mountainous area that we suspect they will take us to, because there are hyenas, elephants and lions in those forests,” she says. “I have three cows, five goats and more than 20 chickens, which can become meals for the wild animals there. We want them to ensure that we are well protected before they move us and ensure we have access to water, fencing and roads, clinics and schools.”

Village headman Wilson Munkombwe Siamulafu I, 71, worries about ready access to water. Like many others, he grows tomatoes, cabbage and rapeseed to sell locally. His grandparents used to live in Muchesu, he says, and were chased away during the colonial era — only to return in the 1950s, when the construction of Kariba Dam displaced them. “My parents said that they walked to this place because they knew it had fertile soil,” he says. “Others were brought later, by trucks.”

A tall, slim man who squints when he speaks, Munkombwe can’t help but feel helpless. “I have nothing that I can do or say because they have already chased us,” he says. “We will only follow what they say.”

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Shadreck Mwinde, 64, has already begun to feel the effects of the project. In 2020, the mine subsumed his field. The company promised him 1 ton of maize each year until the households were relocated. “I was given 1 ton last year in February,” he says, “and this year nothing has come.” (Monaf Investments did not respond to requests for comment.) This season, he cultivated a borrowed piece of land — but it yielded only four 50-kilogram (110-pound) bags of maize, not nearly enough to sustain his family of 14 children, 10 of whom live with him and his wife. He has already sold a cow to cover their schooling costs.

Earlier this year, in March, construction workers drilled two holes near his house, destroying some trees in his compound. The holes were left uncovered for a week, Mwinde says, and treated with chemicals; when it rained the holes filled with water. “Four of my goats died,” he says. “I do not know if it was because of those chemicals.” In late June, about 50 meters (164 feet) away from his house, there was a large open hole, 9 meters (30 feet) deep, guarded by security personnel. “Even though someone is manning this place, the hole is dangerous for both our children and animals,” Mwinde says, pointing toward it.

Alarmed by the rising trend in mining-induced displacements, a coalition of nongovernmental organizations collectively called Publish What You Pay has petitioned the Zimbabwean government to protect the rights of the affected. “In Zimbabwe, mining companies often fail to pay adequate and prompt compensation, give people adequate notice and follow due process before relocation,” its petition notes, adding that any project that necessitates displacement must require the unreserved consent of affected communities, relocation with prompt and fair compensation, resource sharing and adherence to international best practices.

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Effort Nkazimulo Dube, a fellow at the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, says mining-induced displacement is a growing trend. “But it’s not widely talked about, especially when communities are not coming up to report the matter,” he says, noting that there have been cases in which people who oppose mining projects are singled out. “I am not aware of any laws that prohibit double displacement,” he adds. “Mining is given a top priority in our laws, so if minerals are discovered where people live, there is a possibility of being displaced again.”

Mathias Mwinde says, “The eviction happening now is better than what happened in the 1950s. We agreed that no one will be moved before houses are built, there is access to water and affected people are given first preference for employment.” But he notes that Monaf Investments has not been clear on how much monetary compensation each family will receive. Meanwhile, Richard Moyo, state minister for provincial affairs and devolution in Matabeleland North, says the villagers are not being evicted — rather, it is “rural organization for rural development.” He adds that “intensive and extensive consultations are carried out to allow buy-in of the community.”

“Government, under new dispensation, respects property rights and upholds constitutionalism,” he says, “hence the concerns of the affected community are taken on board with a view to make whatever investment to give that community a better livelihood.” Indeed, the new development pleases some in Muchesu. Chitondezyo Murisaka, 31 and a father of one, has worked at the mine for the past five months and earns a daily wage of $7. “Because of the job, I have managed to pay part of my lobola [a bride price paid by the husband to the wife’s family] for my wife,” he says.

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But Musaka and Mudimba worry that what will be lost can never be compensated. “My children’s ancestral spirits are here,” says Mudimba. “Sometimes when a child gets sick, prophets and traditional healers tell you to visit the graves and do certain things for the child to heal.” Musaka says many of her relatives were buried along the Zambezi where her family used to live. “Their graves were covered by the river, and we have no trace of them anymore. This is what is going to happen again,” she says. In her old age, her one wish is to be buried beside her husband. “If I am moved, that will not happen.”- Global Press

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In the community

Crocodile attacks claim 9 lives, injure 11

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A surge in crocodile attacks has left a trail of death and destruction in Zimbabwe, with 9 fatalities and 11 injuries reported in the last two months.

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According to a statement released by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 49 human-crocodile conflict cases were recorded during the same period, resulting in the loss of 44 cattle and 60 goats.

The Mid-Zambezi region, which includes Lake Kariba, Angwa River, and Hunyani River, was the hardest hit, with 19 cases reported. The Central region recorded 14 cases, while 16 cases were reported in other areas, including Matopo, Harare, North-West Matabeleland, and South-East Low-veld.

ZimParks has urged communities to exercise extreme caution, especially around water bodies, during the current rain season. The authority has advised communities to ensure that livestock and children are not left unattended near rivers or lakes, and to take precautions when engaging in water activities such as fishing, swimming, and domestic chores.

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To mitigate the situation, ZimParks is working closely with local authorities and conservation partners to raise public awareness and promote safety practices. The authority has emphasized its commitment to finding a balance between ensuring public safety and conserving wildlife.

As the situation continues to unfold, ZimParks has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and to report any crocodile sightings or attacks to the authorities.

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Nkayi

Nkayi man sentenced to 20 years for murdering patron

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BY STAFF REPORTER

In a High Court circuit sitting in Hwange, a 23-year-old man from Gwelutshena was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder.

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Mtabisi Ndimande was convicted of killing a 39-year-old man in a brutal axe attack that occurred on August 5, 2024, at DZ Sports Bar in Inyathi.

The court heard that Ndimande had been drinking beer with the deceased when an argument ensued.

Despite intervention from a security guard, Ndimande pulled out an axe and struck the deceased on the head.

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The blow caused the deceased to collapse, while the axe remained embedded in his head. The offender then removed the axe and walked away.

The deceased bled profusely and was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on August 6, 2024.

The police responded to the scene and recovered the axe.

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Hwange

Drugs causing mayhem in Victoria Falls

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The scourge of drugs and substance abuse is tearing families apart in the city of Victoria Falls as young people resort to dangerous substances to cope with mounting economic problems.

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Victoria Falls, like most urban areas in Zimbabwe, is battling against a surge in cases of drugs and substance abuse, which has seen the government launching various programmes to curb the crisis.

Eslina Sibanda, a Mkhosana resident whose son was forced to drop out of college due to drug addiction, narrated her heart-rending ordeal in an interview with NewsHub.

“He was a bright student, but then he started experimenting with mbanje and other substances,” Sibanda said.

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“Before we knew it, he was hooked. We tried to get him help, but it was too late.

“He dropped out of college and he now struggles to find a job.”

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, approximately 750 000 people in Zimbabwe use cannabis, while 150 000 use other illicit drugs.

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The same report noted that 14.6 percent of males and 5.6 percent of females aged between 15 and 65 years engage in hazardous or harmful drinking.

In a dramatic event that gripped Victoria Falls last November, 82 year-old Paul Siangapi was forced to take his son, Wonder, to court after he attempted to stab a family member in a drug-fuelled rage.

Siangapi pleaded with the magistrate to send his 40year-old son to jail for years, saying after the death of his mother, almost a decade ago, he started smoking cannabis (mbanje) and abusing alcohol.

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He said Wonder became abusive even to his grandchildren as a result of drug abuse.

The magistrate subsequently ruled that he must be referred to the Mlondolozi Mental Health Prison in Bulawayo where he is being treated for his addiction together with seven others from Victoria Falls who were facing charges of committing offences under the influence of drugs.

Siangapi told News Hub from his Chinotimba home that his life had become hell on earth because of his son’s drugs problem.

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“He is ok there (in prison),” Siangapi said. “I was always running away from him. He would lock the gate, deprive me of food and, at times, l would sleep in the car outside the gate because of him.”

On 18 February, Information minister, Jenfan Muswere, said the police had arrested 9, 527  people and dismantled 79 illegal drug bases as part of a countrywide crackdown on drug and substance abuse between 1 September 2024 and 31 January 2025.

Muswere told a post-Cabinet briefing that 616 drug suppliers and 8 911 drug users had been arrested during the operation.

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The government has also established three new rehabilitation centres for drug addicts in Victoria Falls, Harare and Kwekwe.

The ministry of Health and Child Care notes that substance abuse is a major contributor to mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and psychosis.

Mental health experts say a combination of factors that include poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to education and healthcare drive young people into drugs and substance abuse.

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“Young people are turning to substances as a way to cope with the stress and uncertainty of their lives,” said Silvester Nyoni, a local psychologist. “We need to address the root causes of this crisis, rather than just treating the symptoms.”

Rufaro Nyakwende, a social worker at the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, said the impact of substance abuse was far-reaching as affected not only individuals, but also families, communities, and the economy.

“Substance abuse is leading to tracking substance use,” Nyakwende said.

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“At the end of the day, people have mental issues such as depression, anxiety, and this leads to interest in another driver of tracking substance use, which is peer pressure. A lot of children experience peer pressure through interactions, observation, learning, and playing.

“People may admire the effects of someone using drugs and end up using those drugs themselves. This is another driver of tracking substance use. When they continue using drugs, it also leads to mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiety, and this is what leads to a high risk of suicide,” added Nyakwende.

She said the community also exerts too much pressure on young people.

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“There’s also the issue of social pressures. The community expects certain things from people,” Nyakwende added.

“For instance, by a certain age, you’re expected to have achieved certain milestones, such as having a proper job and a family.

“But when you fail to meet these expectations, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, which can contribute to higher rates of suicide.”

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The government launched the National Substance Abuse Policy in 2020 as one of the ways to deal with the scourge.

For Nyoni, however, more needs to be done to provide support and resources for those struggling with addiction.

“We need to increase funding for treatment centres, counselling services, and support groups,” he said.

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“We also need to raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse and provide education and job training programs for young people.”

SOURCE: NEWS HUB

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