The Greater Whange Residents Trust (GWRT) has petitioned Parliament over pollution emanating from coal mining companies operating in the area.
In an interview with Southern Eye, the GWRT co-ordinator Fidelis Chima said the petition was addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda and MPs.
In the petition, GWRT indicated that Hwange was home to more than 50 000 residents who include men, women and children who are not employed as miners.
“Coal mining is a key industry in that town and impacts on both the residents and the environment of Hwange town and beyond. Hwange is also surrounded by land which falls under National Parks,” the petition said.
It cited the Pneumoconiosis Act (1971) which provides for the control and administration of persons employed in dusty occupations.
According to the residents, the legislation was designed to respond to health issues affecting those employed in dusty occupations and is ill-equipped to respond to issues of stakeholders beyond this categorisation as stated by the law.
“Mining in Hwange consists of both open cast and underground mining operations. Coal mining creates dust and dusty conditions that affect not just those employed by the coal mines. It affects communities that live on and around the mines,” it said.
“Your petitioners submit that ordinary residents of Hwange who are not employed in the coal mines are not benefiting from the provisions of the Act as currently framed.”
- Cars up for grabs in batteries competition
- Africa should be better prepared for Europe’s security funding shift
- Sadc PF wants right to health enforceable
- AG’s report shows growing impunity at the heart of govt operation
Keep Reading
The petition said residents directly employed in coal mines were eligible for regular medical checks under the Act.
“Ordinary residents are not beneficiaries of such tests. The Act was not designed for their benefit. It was exclusionary from the start,” it said.
“Residents that are not employees of coal mines are, therefore, susceptible to health risks associated with coal mining, without the protection of the law.
“With the increase in coal and related mining activities, the number of persons that are not subject to the protection of the law, thanks to the crafting of the Act, has also increased.”
The residents called for the review of the Act to embrace the protection of all persons who stay or live in environments that are subjected to coal mining dust.
“It may also be worthwhile for Parliament to consider how the Act could enjoin coal miners to contribute towards the reduction of coal dust, to enhance the health of residents,” they said.
The residents said the State must ensure progressive realisation of residents’ right.
“Therefore, your petitioners humbly pray as follows: That the Parliament of Zimbabwe exercises its constitutional mandate to inquire into the nature and extent of the threat posed to residents due to dust pollution, review the fairness of the Pneumoconiosis Act [Chapter 15:08] to non-employees of the coal mining industry that reside in coal mining areas; and make recommendations on the review of the Act given the current situation in coal mining areas and your petitioners in duty will ever pray,” they said.
Parliament is yet to deliberate and respond to the petition.
In June last year, residents in Ingagula said they were living in a death trap after their relocation from the coal mining zone was deferred indefinitely.
They said their living conditions were deteriorating due to escalating health hazards caused by the expansion of units 7 and 8 at the Hwange Thermal Power Station and the Deka Pipeline Upgrade project.
More than 400 Ingagula residents were expected to be relocated to the Empumalanga suburb before the operationalisation of the units.
The Zimbabwe Power Company in 2021 revealed that it required about US$60 million to relocate the families.
