A groundbreaking community-led environmental audit report to assess the impact of Hwange Colliery operations on the community launched yesterday details extensive pollution and environmental degradation.
Key findings of the community audit report noted a prevailing disconnect between business, community rights, and legal compliance, prerequisites for sustainable operations in the mining sector.
Speaking at a virtual launch of the report supported by the Center for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) community members said the findings of the report are a wake-up call for the government to strengthen environmental compliance and improve investment policies to avoid the exploitation of mineral resources and communities.
The government was also urged to revise ‘its legislation like the Mines and Minerals Act to make it more oriented to the sustainable use of mines and conduct ‘feasibility studies’ including master plans outlining how the investment can contribute to local infrastructural development.
The audit also stated that ‘mining companies should adopt the IFC Performance Standards (2012) on social and environmental sustainability to manage social and environmental risks and impacts throughout the life of an investment.’
Tinashe Matika, a community member from Hwange, said the methodology of the research was a painstaking process to advocate against the adverse environmental impact by interrogating fossil fuel-powered industrialization and extraction of coal.
“The process started back in 2021 with capacity building on the environmental laws by CNRG before we then developed a toolkit comprised of key critical questions to interrogate air quality, land use surface quality, impact on infrastructure, education, occupational health and safety, social license and community rights,” said Matika.
“The scope of the audit was diverse, and we faced some monitoring challenges because we also assessed the process of the mining companies and access to the sites was difficult. So it was a painstaking process, including re-engagement and proper data triangulation for seasonal occurrences.”
“Generally, the toolkit was modelled to capture community members’ opinions based on location looking at the presence of suspended particles, the smell of the air, visibility of smoke as we rated air pollution,” he added.
The community-led audit report assessed different environmental assessment aspects which include environmental permitting compliance (legal compliance) by mining companies, effluent disposal, air quality, water quality, soil and land use, infrastructure, wetlands, vegetation and wildlife, mine safety and health and workers’ rights and community rights and benefits.
Also known as a ground-truthing report, community audits are a process of examining the compliance of companies with environmental laws, regulations, policies, and project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate conditions.
Ndaizivei Garura, CNRG project officer said through such processes disenfranchised communities can speak with a common voice to advocate and strengthen engagements with duty bearers, enforcement agents and corporate interests in the extraction of natural resources.
“There is a need to strike a balance between income and investment brought by the mining companies and the environmental rights which cannot be separated from the human rights of the people that are living in mining communities.
“Community advocacy tools that do not use scientific methods, based on how communities observe impacts at various levels in the mining value chain are important to give community agency in advocating for responsible mining practices,” said Garura.
“Our work at CNRG as part of promoting active citizenship we capacitate and educate communities on their rights which include environmental, economic and social three inseparable pillars of sustainable development.”
Claris Masiya of Green Governance Zimbabwe detailed biodiversity impact, aquatic life disturbances, and the general negative environmental impacts of mining as a cause for collaborative monitoring.
“The extractive industry in Zimbabwe whether formal or informal is destructive from those using rudimentary tools or top-notch technology because it leads to the depletion of resources that cannot be replenished.
“Ungoverned mining activities disruption of water supply in communities, poor infrastructure in mining communities, and lack of community consultation are key drivers of unsustainable mining practices.”
Nkosi Sibanda, a participant in the audit report said the findings of the report vindicate calls for community involvement in the mining value chain to enhance compliance, environmental rehabilitation, and cultural heritage preservation.
He said the findings of the report merely put into context the impacts of intergenerational coal extraction in Hwange that have led to extensive deforestation habitat disturbances, and disused mining dumps.
“Pollution and environmental degradation are caused by the Hwange Colliery and various Chinese sub-contractors which release effluent into water bodies, and air. For example, the water in Deka River is coloured from what we believe are coal residue tailings that have accumulated over years,” said Sibanda.
“The idea of the whole process was for the community to be capacitated so that they can continually monitor the mining companies and provide advocacy baselines that they can use to engage with corporate and government.”
The process of data gathering meant to collect evidence and later develop a mitigation plan on the issues affecting the communities with recommendations for rehabilitation of the agricultural lands affected by mining activities so that they can be used for farming and grazing.
The report also proposes that tailing dumps and open pits should be rehabilitated and closed to ensure that they do not pose a risk of injury to humans and animals. Bioremediation of spillage sites to decontaminate soils from hazardous waste or use of specially designed repositories.