Anjin, Marange villagers’ battle continues
Scores of villagers from Marange yesterday staged a demonstration against Chinese diamond mining company, Anjin which is yet to compensate nearly 500 families that it displaced from their traditional homes to Arda Transau.
Vongai Mbara
The villagers are demanding their land and cultural rights, compensation and consultation to access environmental information.
According to Arda Transau residents, the outstanding Bill and Liabilities for Anjin diamond mining company to settle for households relocated from Marange includes compensation for 476 families, title deeds for houses, irrigation, Pastures and electrification of houses.
The firm which operated in the area from 2009 – 2016 before its license was revoked by the Mugabe regime leading to the formation of the Zimbabwe Consolidation Diamond Company (ZCDC) has been accused of looting the country’s diamonds with the state getting very little in return.
Its return during the second republic era sparked a lot of controversies with villagers calling the government to halt the company’s mining operations claiming that the company has a dark past including human rights abuses.
According to the villagers, Anjin mining operations destroyed the community infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools, degraded farming land, sacred areas and contaminated sources of (drinking) water.
The villagers claimed that over 4 000 cattle were lost after falling into mining pits, gullies and slime dams, around 450 families were relocated to Arda Transau without secured livelihoods and compensation for their losses.