Fairness Moyana
RESIDENTS in Hwange have been urged to take advantage of the newly enacted Freedom of Information Act to demand information from mining companies.
This comes as the district has witnessed an influx in companies mostly Chinese venturing into coal mining and energy projects. The development has been received with mixed feelings by communities with some accusing the companies of taking over their land without consulting them.
This has led to clashes between Chinese investors and communities who feel the projects will have more negative impacts than benefits on their livelihoods such as forced relocations, pollution, environmental degradation and defilement of cultural and heritage sites.
However, according to Greater Whange Residents Trust coordinator, Fidelis Chima, the Freedom of Information Act empowers residents to demand information from entities and government ministries on mining activities and procedures.
“The Act gives citizens the right to access information from public entities and citizens can use that provision to access information. It’s sad that we wake up every day to see a new coal mining project investment in Hwange without the knowledge of the affected communities.
“However, I think as local communities we need to visit the ministry of mines and mining development to seek clarity on these coal investments. The advantage is that it gives citizens the right to access information from public entities on mining activities taking place in affected communities. We should also seek information from EMA, as Greater Whange Residents Trust we always get information on mining activities in Hwange without challenges from EMA office “said Chima.
He said as an organisation they intended to conscientise residents on the Act as a means of accountability.
“We are asserting our rights as provided in the Act to access information and also encouraging residents to use it for accountability purposes. Villagers are not aware that there is an Act that empowers them to access information from public entities and as Greater Whange Residents Trust we need to raise awareness to the villagers on section 62 of the Constitution and the Information Act. We will carry out training workshops as part of capacity building and creating awareness on the Act.”
Chima said using the Act the entities could be taken to task over why they were not embracing renewable energy among other things.
“The world is embracing renewable energy and we should use the provisions of the Act to ask why we seem to invest in coal mining projects instead of renewable energy. Extraction of coal in Hwange is causing respiratory diseases such as pneumoconiosis, flue, water sources are being polluted, graves desecrated and villagers are afraid of evictions,” he added.
Currently there are seven mining companies as well as seven coke processing plants and one methane gas project in Hwange’s extractive sector.
The promulgation of the Freedom of Information Act follows the repealing of the restrictive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) that analysts say stifled media freedom and citizen participation in development.
