The Sunday News
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MINING companies especially those extracting coal in Hwange have been urged to take a leading stand in reducing pollution at the source so as to protect the environment and prevent chronic diseases.
The call was made by environmentalists during a tree planting event at Dinson Colliery Mine and Thomas Coulter Primary School to mark World Earth Day in Hwange. Earth Day is held annually on 22 April to raise awareness for the environment and this year’s theme was: “Restore our Earth.”
Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Nyaradzo Funeral Services, Mvhiringi and Associates, Dinson Colliery and Africa Youth Initiative on Climate Change Zimbabwe are the stakeholders that partnered Hwange-based Green Shango Environment Trust (GSET) to plant fruit and pine trees on Friday.
Hwange suffers perennial air, water and land pollution as a result of extensive mineral exploitation and people are exposed to dust pollution, putting their lives in danger of silicosis and other chronic diseases. Speaking at the event organised by GSET, environment champion Ms Elizabeth Gulugulu who is founder of Africa Youth Initiative on Climate Change Zimbabwe bemoaned extensive environmental degradation in Matabeleland North.
“Matabeleland North is faced with extensive land degradation caused by timber poaching and mining activities and over-exploitation of trees affects livelihoods. There is a lot of timber harvesting, veld fires and deforestation in Matabeleland North because wood is a cheaper alternative to energy.
“Companies should be able to replace trees they harvest and also reclaim land but we should not replace indigenous trees with exotic ones lest we change the ecosystem and affect native animals. We need to capacitate communities to be aware of their responsibility and young people should also be part of environmental management policymaking to offer solutions to climate change,” said Ms Gulugulu.
A fully grown tree provides oxygen enough to sustain four people each day and it takes a century to replace a fully grown hardwood tree, environmentalists have said.
This comes amid fears the country’s hardwood used for mukwa timber forests in Lupane are dwindling due to over-exploitation. Ms Gulugulu and GSET executive director Mr Daniel Sithole are among six Zimbabwean environmentalists who recently made it to the world Top 100 Young Conservation Leaders in Africa, a programme where youths who are into environmental conservation are judged by the work they do. There were more than 400 applications from 23 countries. Mr Sithole said Hwange is under siege from pollution.
“Being chosen among Top 100 is a milestone achievement and this means a lot of work to be done to save our environment. Dust pollution is rampant in Hwange and we want to urge all mining companies in Hwange to participate in climate change mitigation programmes and also to reduce pollution at the source. Those who transport coal should have bowsers that suppress dust. We are going into the dry season where dust becomes problematic in the whole of Hwange especially in Number 2 and Number 3 and we need to prevent chronic infections,” he said.
Communities in and around Hwange have for a long-time endured dust pollution while Deka River is heavily polluted by effluent from mines which has in some cases seen livestock and fish dying and most roads are in bad shape because of degradation by trucks that transport coal.
GSET has planted 600 fruit trees since 2019 and has about 700 that are ready for planting. Mr Sithole said they were using cheap recycled waste to make nurseries and appealed to partners for establishment of a recycling plant in Hwange to reduce pollution. Dinson Colliery Mine administration and human resources manager Mr Steven Xing said protecting the environment is key especially for them as coke producers. — @ncubeleon
