Blessing Munemo, a ZANU PF council member for Ward 1 in Mayambara, Seke Rural, has filed a lawsuit to stop an unlicensed granite mining business from doing exploratory work on the land belonging to the people.
With the aid of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), Munemo applied to the Marondera Magistrates Court to stop Matscandnavia, doing business as Seven Stars Mine, from prospecting or mining in the villages of Savanhu, Mhonda, Mhundwa, and Charigwati without following the proper procedures and obtaining the necessary permissions.
Munemo, an ancestral native of Savanhu hamlet, hired lawyers to deal with Matscandnavia’s installation of pegs on locals’ land without their permission or input.
The application requests that these pegs be taken down within twenty-four hours of the court’s approval. The Messenger of the Court may enforce compliance, if needed.
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The council member emphasised that Matscandnavia had broken the law by stipulating that quarry mining would begin in the region in 2023 and by failing to get an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate, among other legal procedures. Munemo used Section 97 of the Environmental Management Act, which requires EMA approval for mineral prospecting, to highlight the significance of adhering to environmental standards.
In addition, Munemo claimed that the actions of Matscandnavia were not authorised by the Manyame Rural District Council, infringing upon the villagers’ constitutionally guaranteed right to a safe and healthy environment (Section 73). He voiced worries about how the mining operations will result in the loss of arable land, grazing pastures, and cultural places.
