CHIADZWA villagers resettled at Arda Transau continue to be sold a raw deal, with a new report showing a drop in living standards characterised by acute water shortages, increased diseases and child sexual abuse.
NATHAN GUMA
After the discovery of diamonds in Chiadzwa, Manicaland province, many families were moved off their ancestral land in the Marange communal lands and resettled at Arda Transau between 2009 and 2011.
The government declared the diamond fields protected areas under the Protected Places and Areas Act (PPAA) to pave way for the exploitation of the gems. While promises were made to improve the livelihoods of the resettled families, most of the promises are yet to be fulfilled.
For instance, each family was to occupy a three-bedroomed electrified house with clean, treated piped water from taps situated at each house.
However, a lack of access to social amenities like water have seen living conditions resembling a concentration camp.
Findings by a report titled Action Voices Community Solidarity Forever, the living conditions in communities near mining areas continued to worsen in 2023.
“The discovery of diamonds in 2006 led to a rush and was followed by a myriad of community experiences. The Human Rights Watch report describes the situation in Marange as anarchy. They report the prevalent human right abuse at the hands of both military and the police,” said Cosmas Sunguro, Zimbabwe Diamond Allied Workers’ Union (Zidawu) president in the report.
Zidawu represents diamond mine workers in the country.
“As a child I recalled when the environment could provide for us with wild fruits and clean environment. Most families were dependent on livestock farming and agriculture. These economic activities were instrumental to educating many of the children, sending them to university.
“All our old way of life has been slowly eroding. With little access to land. With little money made as artisanal mining most families were able to build new houses, installed solar panels, bought radios, bicycles, even cars. When the government banned artisanal mining in December 2006, we all thought this was life changing decision for our community; little did we know that the community income would dry.”
The villagers are also reeling under acute water shortages, with at least 600 families living without a constant water supply, according to the report.
“The promise of development is slowly crumbling with dry taps. The community is unable to pay for water service due to declining socio-economic conditions in the Arda community. The relocated Arda community has been struggling to access water due to exorbitant tariffs charged by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa),” it reads.
According to the report, while some urban infrastructure has been installed in some parts of the area to provide water, it has been expensive to maintain for the villagers. This has seen some community members being disconnected due to the increasing debt to Zinwa, leaving them without water for days.
“The community are expected to pay at least US$3 per month. Anjin and Jinan sections have been severely impacted with their bills mounting. The majority of the community members are saying that they cannot afford to pay for water,” it reads.
“Many cited the reason being that they lack employment and have no meaningful economic income. while others simply believe the diamond mines which relocated them should pay. One of the relocated community members says that they were relocated from Chiadzwa where they never paid for water. Therefore, they find no reason to pay for water yet the companies who relocated them are enjoying diamonds.”
The report has also flagged increasing cases of abuse fuelled by artisanal miners operating in the area.
“Our research as Zidawu indicated that there are more than 30 bases of artisanal miners. Some of those staying in homes are accused of using their dollar power to attract young girls,” it reads.
“There are cases of buyers destroying the girl child by splashing money. This has contributing to high school dropouts and poor performance in schools. Whilst the social fabric is affected at an alarming rate, there is a deteriorating environmental health.”
According to the report, the problems have been coupled by malaria emanating from open pits left by mining companies in the area.
An investigation by The NewsHawks last year showed that the exploitation of rough diamonds by Chinese firm Anjin Diamond Company in the Chiadzwa area of Manicaland province led to a sharp rise in malaria cases due to poor environmental management practices.
The company left pits that became breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which saw an increase in malaria cases in Chiadzwa, with the pits claiming lives while posing serious danger to humans and wildlife.
“According to an official of the ministry of Health, ’Malaria cases are on the increase due to open pits that are yet to be rehabilitated and others left by artisanal miners’,” it reads. “This is becoming a threat to children as they are prone to malaria. Some of the gwejaz [unlicensed artisanal miners] are accused of defecating in open places. With the place under threat from cholera, this is not good news.”
