MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-Save our Environment Trust has raised concern over the continuous use of mercury by miners in the processing of gold despite the ban, adding that there are far-reaching impacts posed by the highly toxic substance to the environment and humans.
Oswald Chishanga, said mercury is lethal and if released into the environment had severe risks on people’s health, as it can cause lung cancer, birth defects and infertility.
Chishanga was speaking during the MISA Zimbabwe discussion on mining activities in the Midlands province last Friday in Gweru.
“People use mercury for processing gold, however it’s a very dangerous substance when it comes to the environment.
“For us environmentalist the mercury substance is a big threat and artisanal miners are using the substance despite it’s ban through the Minamata Convention which the country ratified in 2020,” he said.
Minamata Convention was promulgated in an effort to reduce and eliminate the usage of mercury, which is prevalently used and purchased by artisanal miners from unregistered dealers who smuggle the deadly substance from China through porous borders.
Chishanga confirmed that there are a lot of traces of mercury in rivers, especially in Shurugwi District where there is high open cast mining activities.
He added that, his organization is worried about mining activities at Botorekwa escapement which was endowed with indigenous trees before the Chinese Chenjxi (Private) Limited started open cast mining and vat leaching.
Vat leaching principle entails leaching gold from the ore with mercury or cyanide solution.
It produces large amounts of waste effluent which are acidic and that pollutes the environment with toxic waste thereby putting the aquatic system and animal lives in danger.
Worse off, during the rain season, high effluent of toxic will be discharged into the river streams posing great health risk to people living downstream.
Environmentalists have projected that in 10 years time, Boterekwa forestry coverage will be reduced by 40 percent as a result of illegal open cast mining activities that have disfigured the scenic view.
However, Chishanga has urged the mining communities to “practice better sustainable ways of extracting precious minerals,” adding that the miners should do more on land reclamation.
Meanwhile, Midlands Miners Federation chairperson, Edgar Benjamini said there is need for all stakeholders to come together and eradicate all the unsystematic activities which are degrading the environment.
Adding that the “prevalent use of mercury and unholy activities in the mining sector is destroying the ecosystem and has a bearing on climate change”.
Recently, President Mnangagwa challenged the 10th Parliament to expeditiously tackle the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, which seeks to deal with farmers, miners disputes among other issues.
