By Promise Dube
Villagers in Insiza demand that mining companies fix the roads, which are in a bad state due to the heavy trucks passing through them daily.
Sources who spoke to CITE on condition of anonymity claimed that around 30 trucks carrying lithium travel from the former Sandawana (now Kuvimba Mine) to Mangula (Gwanda Mine) daily.
They stated that these trucks have negative impacts on the communities due to air pollution and road degradation.
“These monster trucks move up and down the road. Around 30 of them carry lithium from the former Sandawana (now Kuvimba Mine) to Mangula (Gwanda Mine),” concerned sources said.
Villagers further alleged that the heavy and numerous trucks are destroying the roads, and the dust they produce leads to air pollution, posing a health hazard to the villagers.
“The road is almost impassable now because of these heavy vehicles, and the dust they cause is unhealthy,” sources said.
“It’s gotten so bad that driving on the road is torturous. Ambulances from private healthcare providers now refuse to come to the villages, citing the bad state of the road. Even if people hire vehicles to take the sick to hospitals, it might not help because it now takes up to two hours to travel a distance of 30km due to the numerous holes and streams created by the trucks,” sources added.
Sources claimed that the poor road conditions have increased the delivery cost of goods to businesses, negatively affecting villagers already suffering from the effects of drought.
“Delivery trucks are finding it difficult to transport goods to the shops. Some have already abandoned the route. All we ask is that those benefiting from the millions of dollars from the ‘white gold’ assist in road maintenance,” sources said.
Speaking to CITE in an interview, Ward Seven councillor Matilda Dube confirmed the situation and added that they are not asking the mining companies to leave but to service the roads.
“These trucks are causing dust. We appeal to them to fix and pave the road to reduce dust when they move,” Dube said.
Last year, lawmakers urged mining companies in Zimbabwe to contribute effectively to road rehabilitation across the country, particularly in areas where they operate.
Former Member of Parliament for Chegutu West, Dexter Nduna, said some of the worst roads in the country are those used by mining companies to transport minerals from their mines, yet the companies do little or nothing to fix them.
