Picture: a cloud of dust over Masarasara Compound after blasting at Bikita Minerals
Upenyu Chaota
Flying rocks from a Bikita Minerals blasting site recently caused substantial damage to two houses belonging to employees as safety standards remain a cause for great concern at the lithium producing company.
The first accident damaged the house belonging to Richard Madhidha while the second one damaged Joachim Murehwa’s house.
Sources told EnviroPress the two incidences reflected the general disregard for safety measures in some of the mining company’s operations.
“The issue is that the mining site is too close to Masarasara residential compound, and people are told to leave their houses whenever the company wants to set explosives. However, you can only evacuate the people to a distance, but you cannot evacuate their houses and the property therein. Many other houses have cracked and there is no real sense safety in staying in them anymore,” said one source.
The sources said the previous owners of Bikita Minerals had avoided expanding mining operations to Musarasara.
Currently, residents are required to leave their houses and take cover in the community hall and clinic before blasts are conducted. They often have to spend several hours away before they could safely return to their houses.
A source said when the first incident occurred, government ordered the company to suspend operations at the Masarasara site, but management ignored the order.
“Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development visited and stayed for some time making assessments and writing reports. They then ordered that operations be suspended at the site but as soon as they left, Martin ordered the resumption of work, and this led to the second incident,” said another source, referring to Liu Rui, the company’s head of human resources and administration.
Some company employees complained about excessive dust pollution, saying their families often spend several more hours away after every blast, waiting for clouds of dust blanketing their homes to settle first. EnviroPress obtained pictures showing clouds of dust blanketing buildings and trees at the mine.
When contacted for comment, Bikita Minerals communications manager Colin Nikisi could neither confirm nor deny the incidents, but referred questions to Victoria Mtomba whom he said was his colleague.
On her part, Mtomba asked that questions be sent in writing so that she could first consult her bosses, but she failed to respond to them several days later despite her initial pledge to do so.
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Winston Chitando, who had promised to respond to questions send to him, failed to honour his promise.
