EnviroPress Reporter
Senator Chief Ngungumbane has voiced deep frustration with Kuvimba Mining House (KMH), accusing the company of failing to deliver on a wide range of promises made to the people of Mberengwa following the reopening of Sandawana Mine.
At a recent traditional leaders’ gathering, Chief Ngungumbane lamented that nearly two years after KMH pledged transformative development for the district, little has materialized on the ground.
“We were told that Sandawana would usher in rapid development—that there would be road reconstruction, clinic upgrades, a relocated primary school, a solar power plant, dam rehabilitation, and even a community ownership share scheme. But none of it has been delivered,” lamented the chief.
Despite Kuvimba’s announcement of a US $110 million road maintenance fund and past assurances of US $56 million capital injection into reviving the mine, Ngungumbane said communities still endure dusty, impassable roads and dilapidated basic services.
He also highlighted the company’s promise to upgrade the modest Sandawana clinic into a full hospital, build model homes for relocated families, and launch social amenities including schools, electricity infrastructure, and water projects.
According to Ngungumbane, none of these commitments has been met within agreed timelines.
Residents and ward councillors have echoed the chief’s message. As reported by EnviroPress, locals feel betrayed, noting that promised corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives remain unfulfilled, and rural communities continue to lack clean water, proper medical facilities, and enforcement of local employment and procurement quotas.
Chief Ngungumbane urged KMH to deliver on its stated plans or risk losing community trust, emphasizing that expectations were anchored in earlier assurances
Ngungumbane also challenged KMH to step up transparent engagement.
“We expect concrete timelines, clear action plans, and inclusive decision‑making—if these are lacking, then what we have is mere rhetoric,” he said.
No comment could be drawn from KMH by the time of publishing.
