Chinese drilling near Dinde community graveyard
Despite multi-resistance by the Dinde community for the Chinese to start drilling for minerals in the area, the Chinese have started drilling very close to the community gravesite.
Rudairo Mapuranga
According to the founding Director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) Farai Maguwu, the Chinese are desecrating the country by not paying respect to the country’s laws and ethics.
“The Chinese have just started drilling at Dinde, very close to the community gravesite. Why desecrate the final resting place of our dearly departed ones, all in search of ill-gotten wealth. This criminality must stop.” Maguwu said.
The Chinese have just started drilling at Dinde, very close to the community grave site. Why desecrate the final resting place of our dearly departed ones ….all in search of ill gotten wealth. This criminality must stop pic.twitter.com/BqtdskCE99
— Farai Maguwu (@FMaguwu) April 15, 2021
DINDE community members were locked in a stand-off with the Chinese investor over the latter’s proposed coal exploration operations within their community, with villagers fighting to stop the operations.
The community argued that the Chinese investors were in breach of environmental and customary laws of the country as they have not produced any documents granting them permission to work in the area nor engaged the community for a social license.
Villagers were afraid that, should the project continue, they will be subjected to forced relocations while others will be exposed to air and water pollution of Nyantuwe River which provides drinking water for humans and livestock. Villagers were also in fear of loss of livelihoods and grazing land for their livestock, destruction of cultural heritage sites such as graveyards for the Nekatambe Chieftainship as well as contamination of ritual sites in that area.
According to Maguwu after facing such resistance to the project, the Chinese nationals with the help of some government officials have managed to start the drilling process despite the community still not in the whole agreement or approval of the project.
The police have been deployed to provide the Chinese with security in the event that the community must resist.
“After 2 years facing community resistance in Dinde, the Chinese nationals, in partnership with ruling elites, yesterday finally pitched their tent at Dinde. Police were later deployed to guard the tent! Land dispossessions must fall!” Maguwu said.