• About
  • Download Mobile App
  • Get In Touch
Ubumbano Voice
No Result
View All Result
Ubumbano Voice
No Result
View All Result
Home Economic Justice Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Land degradation worrying the Penhalonga community

By Providence Moyo

7 Nov 2022
in Climate, Environmental justice and energy
Land degradation worrying the Penhalonga community
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Press release                                                                                     4 December 2018

Penhalonga community devastated by land degradation

READ ALSO

Renewable energy slowly taking over electricity demand in Malawi’s Balaka Rural District

Chisa Free Nursery Schools youths clean Kwisa Market

Land degradation, food insecurity and water pollution in the Mutare river has led to loss of animal and human life in the gold mining village of Penhalonga in Manicaland, a province in eastern Zimbabwe.

Two people have died,as have a number of cattle, and the river has shifted its course more than 10 times in the past 5 years.

These social problems have led to the suspension of the mining company, DTZ-OZGEO (Pvt Ltd) in Penhalonga by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), an agency of the climate and environment ministry.

“In 2014, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development made a resolution to terminate the company’s mining licence. The mine left massive land degradation, and since that time there have been illegal gold mining activities happening there,” says community member Lloyd Sesemani

According to Sesemani, the community of Penhalonga has never benefited from DTZ-OZGEO mining activities. The community was not consulted before mining operations began in 2007,and since then there has been no meaningful contribution to services such as road maintenance, and the building of infrastructure like schools and bridges.

There are rumours that the government of Zimbabwe has engaged a mining company from Belarus to restart mining operations in Penhalonga. “We are not against any mining company operating in our community, but we are just against having history repeating itself. With DTZ-OZGEO several families lost farming land which was their only source of livelihood and most of them are now living in abject poverty,” says Sesemani

The community has met and outlined the issues to be addressed before mining activity can resume. These include meaningful consultation with all stakeholders around issues like development in the community, ensuring local procurement, and ensuring the employment of local people in the mines. The mine must have an environmental impact assessment certificate from the EMA. And there needs to be meaningful compensation paid to those who have been affected by operations

NOTE TO EDITORS: The Ubumbano Community Voice website and application is a platform for community activists in Southern Africa to share stories of their struggles for dignity and justice, and for journalists and others to get direct access to those stories. It is supported by the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of faith-based organisations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND INTERVIEWS CONTACT:

Nhlanhla Kubeka

frayintermedia: Account manager

Tel: +27 11 888 0140

Cell: +27 79 847 897

Email: nkubeka@frayintermedia.com

Lloyd Sesemani

Community member

Tel: +263 71 416 3568

Email: lloydbanda21@yahoo.com

Ashely Green-Thompson

ACT Ubumbano: Change Manager

Cell: +27 83 442 4497

Email: AGreen-Thompson@christian-aid.org

Related Posts

Renewable energy slowly taking over electricity demand in Malawi’s Balaka Rural District
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Renewable energy slowly taking over electricity demand in Malawi’s Balaka Rural District

2 Nov 2022
Chisa Free Nursery Schools youths clean Kwisa Market
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Chisa Free Nursery Schools youths clean Kwisa Market

2 Nov 2022
Cyclone Anna destroyed infrastructure-Affects businesses
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Cyclone Anna destroyed infrastructure-Affects businesses

2 Nov 2022
Climate change is real
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Climate change is real

2 Nov 2022
Grassroot driven reforestation in Kuwadzana kicks off
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Grassroot driven reforestation in Kuwadzana kicks off

2 Nov 2022
Reforestation and afforestation key in mitigating the impacts of climate change
Climate, Environmental justice and energy

Reforestation and afforestation key in mitigating the impacts of climate change

3 Nov 2022

LATEST NEWS

A ground breaking workshop on early and forced marriages held in Chibuto District

A ground breaking workshop on early and forced marriages held in Chibuto District

11 Nov 2022
Banning of the school feeding programme in Eswatini not a welcome move

Banning of the school feeding programme in Eswatini not a welcome move

7 Nov 2022
A gang of young people terrorizing the Mgazini community.

A gang of young people terrorizing the Mgazini community.

2 Nov 2022
A campaign against human trafficking in Eswatini a welcome move

A campaign against human trafficking in Eswatini a welcome move

2 Nov 2022

ABOUT ACT UBUMBANO

ACT Ubumbano is a network of Southern African and European organisations working for economic, gender and environmental justice.

LATEST NEWS

  • Residents of Magwegwe go for three weeks with no water
  • Poor refuse management poses health hazard for Harare residents
  • Procurement gaps in Gweru, Zimbabwe exposing motorists
  • A ground breaking workshop on early and forced marriages held in Chibuto District

GET IN TOUCH

3rd Floor, Building 2
Brooklyn Bridge Office Park
570 Fehrsen
Pretoria, South Africa

Email: info@actubumbano.org
Tel: + 27 12 433 6304

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

© 2023 - Ubumbano Voice. All rights reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Economic Justice
  • Gender Justice
  • Environmental Justice

© 2023 - Ubumbano Voice. All rights reserved