BREAKING: Local residents block entrance to Murowa Diamonds
The Sese community in Chivi District yesterday blocked the entrance to the RZMurowa compound in protest of the exploration currently taking place in their community.
The community needs Murowa to cease operating in Danhamombe Secondary school premises and houses lamenting that learning is being disrupted by noise from machinery. The school’s development committee (SDC) last year gave RZ Murowa until the 5th of December to wind up operations and leave the area.
The community accuse RZMurowa of conducting exploration without consultation. Last year the local councillor in the area, Alec Mhundu said the mine had also not formalised its operations with the Chivi Rural District Council (RDC).
“What the villagers raised is a cause for concern because as a local authority we are not aware of Murowa Diamonds’ existence or who gave them the permission to be where they are operating from,” said Mhundu.
“Council should be collecting rates from them and if they are indeed genuine miners, they should formally apply for land from the local authority.”
Sources privy to the issue indicate Murowa engaged the community way before they commenced exploration. Some of the community members signed consent forms in areas where the diamond miner indicated an interest in exploring. Some even received food hampers from the miner.
The miner has remained mum on the situation.
For 2 years, the community of Sese in Chivi District has fought a lone battle against Murowa Diamonds, which has been drilling allover the community, including a local school. In the photo members of the community block the entrance to Murowa compound in Sese pic.twitter.com/n39S19uiMZ
— Farai Maguwu (@FMaguwu) June 23, 2021
More to follow