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Mavis Karenni desperately tried one treatment after another, but her cattle kept dying and she could only watch as the symbol of her family’s livelihood dwindled.
After diamond mining began in Chiaziwa in 2011, she and other affected villagers realized that their cattle had also begun to show symptoms of the unknown disease.
Working with traditional leaders, they linked the source of the disease to the Ozani River, a watering point for livestock in the area. They found that the river was contaminated by discharge from mines operated by Anjin Investments and Marange Resources.
A study by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) confirmed their suspicions. The mine operated by Marange was subsequently fined for polluting the Thingwezi, Save and Oz rivers.
rich
Karenyi, 61, used to be considered wealthy in the community. She once raised more than 60 cows, but now 55 of them have died of disease.
“All the cows were dying. First they became clumsy, then their bellies got bigger and finally they couldn’t even walk and died. We also noticed that the disease affected the female cows more because they were all stillborn,” she said. Her son Obe, now in college, added that their last live birth was in 2011.
Karenyi, who lost her husband in 2002, said she now has only five cows and struggles to support her family. She raised six sons and one daughter by raising and selling livestock. “Now it is difficult for me to pay for my son’s college tuition because I don’t have enough cows to sell,” she lamented.
The community has approached the veterinary department on several occasions.
“I contacted the Chimanimani veterinary department but was referred to the provincial department. On September 14, I contacted Dr Guri and two days later, Dr Tapondo came to examine my dead cattle. Despite our repeated requests, we have not received the results of the examination,” she said.
Trouble
Karenyi believes that the veterinary department is reluctant to reveal the results because it would raise a host of questions and confirm that diamond mining contaminants are the cause of the disease and could have a negative impact on diamond mining operations.
Reuben Bvurume, 68, a 5th ward councillor, said he used to have 21 cows and seven calves, but now has only three left. “Ask anyone in this community and they will confirm that I am a wealthy man. I used to have cows, sheep and goats, but now I have nothing. Cattle, our biggest source of wealth, are a thing of the past.”
“It all started in 2009. At first we were naive and had no idea what was causing the deaths of the animals. We spent a lot of money seeking treatment until we realised it was our animals drinking water from the Oz River,” he said, adding that even the fish, which were once plentiful, were now gone.
Bvurume said they had tried several times to contact the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and the veterinary department for answers, but to no avail.
no reply
The Secretary of the Save/Odzi Community Development Trust, Gibson Muhwahwa, said they had written to the veterinary department asking them to hand over the test results of samples collected from the dead cattle but were yet to receive a response.
He suggested that a veterinary official had simply advised community members to sell cattle that drank water from the Oz River.
Save/Odzi Trust treasurer Tichaenzana Chibuwe said more than 264 cattle had died before he assumed office in July 2013 and since then, the number of dead cattle has exceeded 200. Ward 5 and Ward 20 are the two affected communities in Chimanimani West.
The situation is similar in Buhra South district, where 300 to 400 cattle have died in Mangwaza village (ward 28) alone. According to the head of Mangwaza village, wards 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 have also been affected.
He added that the actual number of dead cattle is likely much higher than estimated because the figure does not include calves and many deaths go unreported.
The constituency gets its water supply from the Singhwezi and Save rivers, which are being polluted by the Diamond Mining Company (DMC). Others claim that Mbada Diamonds is also discharging pollutants.
Zimbabweans learned that only villagers in the Marange area would receive $150 in compensation for each dead cow – a clear admission that they were responsible for the contamination and subsequent deaths of their livestock.
The cattle from Bhuhra strayed into Marange area and subsequently died, forcing the DMC to deploy security personnel along the Bhuhra-Marange boundary to drive away the stray cattle. This happened due to Marange villagers demanding compensation for the stray cattle that died in the area.
Diamond mining companies Anjin, Mbada, DMC and Marange Resources in Chiadzwa use river water, add chemicals, wash the diamonds and then discharge the effluent back into the river.
Anjin and Marange Resources reportedly polluted the Odzi River, while DMC discharged wastewater into the Singwizi River, which then emptied into the Save River.
However, Mbada employees in Mangwadza claim that the big diamond company is to blame. “Mbada is to blame. The water comes out of their mining concession and when it passes through DMC, it is polluted. DMC’s waste is discharged into Singwizi along with Mbada’s waste. So both companies are guilty. I work at Mbada Diamonds and I know what happens there,” said a villager who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation.
Sensitive issues
A senior DMC security official who identified himself as Mangena, who confronted reporters at the border of the mining company’s concession, downplayed the issue of water contamination when asked about it. “The contamination is not from the mine, it’s just mud that is washed away by the current on the river bank,” he said.
When questioned further, the official said commenting on the river pollution was a sensitive issue that could cost him his job. “I can’t comment officially. Mungazondipinza patight (You will get me in trouble),” he said, adding that before the confrontation with the journalist, his subordinates warned him about the presence of people near the boundary of the mining area.
However, EMA provincial manager Kingston Chitotombe confirmed that diamond companies Anjin and Marange Resources had once polluted the river, but he claimed that this was no longer the case.
“Our problem is with the DMC. They are still discharging harmful substances into the river and we have intervened. They installed and are going to operate a unit to separate solids and water but it has not started working and I don’t know when it will start working, which means they are still polluting the river,” he said.
Shamiso Mtisi, head of research at the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association, has publicly stated that the three diamond companies are still violating the country’s environmental laws.
“DMC, Anjin and Marange Resources are the main culprits. They do not respect and comply with national environmental laws just because they have political support,” he said.
Legal Action
ZELA took DMC, Anjin and Marange Resources to the High Court following a petition by villagers in 2012. Law officer Veronica Zano regretted that the case had stalled due to unprecedented challenges but hastened to add that they were seeking to take the matter to the Constitutional Court.
“We filed a case in the High Court in 2012, but unfortunately the judicial system is slow and in 2012, the right to clean water was not included in our constitution. In 2013, the new constitution included this clause and we are currently in the process of filing a constitutional case for water pollution,” Zano said.
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