Gwanda Rural District Council (GRDC) councillors and traditional leaders have raised serious concerns over dust pollution, road damage and alleged lack of transparency by Gwanda Lithium Mine, calling for urgent government intervention to protect affected communities.
The concerns were raised during a full council meeting convened to consider recommendations from the Rural District Development Committee (RDDC).
In its recommendations, the RDDC proposed the establishment of a task force comprising representatives from the Ministry of Mines, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), GRDC and other technical experts. The task force would engage Gwanda Lithium Mine to establish whether the company is actively mining at the site or merely processing ore transported from outside the district.
“The RDDC is to oversee the formation of the task force and set its terms of reference. GRDC is to lead research into whether the law allows the local authority to levy charges on a mine that processes ore without mining on site, as is the case with Gwanda Lithium Mine, which declares that the tonnage it reports is ore mined in Sandawana and processed in Gwanda,” read the meeting minutes.
The committee also recommended strengthening monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning in community projects, as well as supporting research and development initiatives to ensure projects achieve their intended outcomes.
However, before the recommendations could be adopted, councillors accused Gwanda Lithium Mine of failing to honour its commitments to affected communities.
“There is dust affecting people. We were told dust suppressors would be used, but what is shocking is that water is only poured about 50 metres from the business centre, while other villagers continue to suffer from dust pollution,” said Councillor Ndlovu.
He added that mine officials had assured council leadership that dust suppressors would be installed but had failed to implement the measure.
“We are dealing with people who are not honest,” he said.
Another councillor said the task force was initially proposed to verify claims that the mine was processing ore transported from outside the area.
“Are they genuine when they say all the ore is coming from outside? Have we established whether they are telling the truth, or whether they are mixing it with ore from this area?” the councillor asked.
Concerns were also raised about the health risks posed by the current dust control measures.
“People in this ward are complaining. The mine said it would pour water, but even when they do, it does not last long. This is a danger to the people,” another councillor said.
One councillor called for a permanent solution, saying water sprinkling was ineffective.
“They pour water in the morning, but by 10am or 3pm the dust is back. We do not want this water-pouring arrangement; we want a tarred road,” he said.
Councillor Sebata went further, alleging that mining was taking place despite official claims to the contrary.
“They keep saying they are not mining here, but that is not true. They have done nothing meaningful for the community. When EMA last visited, they found gold mining activities that they were not aware of. Yet under the ministry, they claim operations have been halted. The claim that they are only processing ore is not true,” he said.
Councillor Mhlanga also highlighted infrastructure damage.
“The road to Ntephe is now in a poor state. If possible, they should allow us to open an alternative road for use,” he said.
Traditional leader Chief Mathema questioned the ownership of the mining operations and criticised the lack of tangible community benefits.
“Who exactly is mining here? Is it white investors or Chinese investors? If it is Chinese, they are not doing anything for us. They should construct roads and permanent infrastructure that benefits the community,” he said.
Responding to the concerns, the District Development Coordinator said information from the Ministry of Mines indicated that the company was not actively mining at the site.
“The task force has not yet been formed. We are still conducting research on whether the local authority is allowed to levy charges on ore processed from outside the district. Once this research is concluded, we will engage. The task force will include EMA, the Ministry of Mines and the RDC,” he said.
“According to the Ministry of Mines, the information we received is that they are not mining at the site but are only processing ore from elsewhere,” he added.
Council Chairperson Mpathiswa Ncube called for renewed engagement at higher levels of government, citing a lack of progress despite earlier discussions.
“We want another meeting with the Minister of State. We raised this issue before and it was thoroughly discussed, but there has been no progress. We also need clarity on when the task force will be formed. Different stakeholders are visiting the site and coming back with different messages. We need one voice and serious action. Take us back to the Minister of State,” he said.