HARARE – The residents of suburban Epworth’s Rockview and Adelaide have expressed their disdain and protested the explosion by a Chinese company, Gumtree Mining in the poverty stricken town.
The residents also accusing Gumtree Mining of disturbing their peace through polluting the air and water.
The company is said to be causing a lot of destruction to structures in the area, which poses a great risk to a number of hazards.
According to the complainants the blasting could affect septic tanks in the Rockview area while sources of water could be contaminated.
However, town clerk for Epworth Town Council, Wilton Mhanda, dismissed the complaints from residents saying the Chinese company was operating within the law.
“We received these complaints shortly after the start of mine operations in 2020, but we engaged the engineers from the Ministry of Mines and a blasting consultancy firm,” said Mhanda.
Mhanda said engineers assured the council that there was no possibility of underground explosions damaging buildings more than 1 km from the mine site.
“We visited the area to determine the alleged cracks in the walls of the area, but the engineers did not see the cracks in the walls inside the area caused by the explosion. Our investigators found no evidence to support the residents’ claims,” he added.
Gumtree Mine is said to have been acquitted by the Department of Mines and other experts.
