Storm brewing in Zambezi Valley
http://www.financialgazette.co.zw/

Wednesday, 01 August 2012 21:11

Nelson Chenga, Staff Reporter

A STORM is brewing in the Zambezi Valley over plans to establish heavy
mining operations along two major rivers that feed into Mana Pools, one of
the world’s most untamed wildernesses and one of Zimbabwe’s most popular
tourist attractions.
A mining venture by indigenous mining concern, Habbard Investments (Private)
Limited, was recently given a prospecting/exploration licence by the
Ministry of Mines and Mining Development through Geo-Associates (Private)
Limited. The company seeks to dredge the river beds of Chewore and
Ruckomechi for heavy mineral sands deposits (HMSD).
HMSDs are used as raw materials in the manufacture of paints and dyes;
enhancing colour in plastics, paper and rubber; in cosmetics and
pharmaceuticals; and to produce titanium alloy metals used in aircraft,
spacecraft and medical prostheses.
Although Habbard Investments has contracted Impact Assessment Consulting
(IMPACO) to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment to establish what
impact the proposed explorations will have on the wilderness, environmental
groups have raised the red flag over the whole idea which they consider to
be a serious threat to the unique natural heritage.
One of the environmental lobby groups, the Zambezi Society, a conservation
organisation involved in conserving the Zambezi Valley’s wildlife and
wilderness since 1982, has strongly objected to the mining venture because
its location would be within an area that is permanently protected as a
World Heritage Site(WHS).
Zambezi Society said the proposed mine would be in the United Nations
Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Wor-ld Heritage
Site, a site that includes Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore safari
areas.
“Its status as a WHS means that it is ‘a property of Outstanding Universal
Value’ because of its cultural and/or natural significance, which is so
exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common
importance for present and future generations of all humanity,” said the
Zimbabwe Society.
“As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest
importance, (not only to Zimbabweans) but to the international community as
a whole”.
According to the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of
Zimb-abwe, Mana (meaning four in the local Shona vernacular) Pools, is
synonymous with the Zambezi River, elephants, lions, remoteness and
wilderness.
The area, comprising four pools, covers 2 196 square kilometres, which is
part of an extensive 10 500 square kilometre national parks and wildlife
estate.
“This unique park is a World Heritage Site, based on its wildness and
beauty, together with the wide range of large mammals, over 350 bird species
and aquatic wildlife. Mana Pools is one of Zimbabwe’s most popular parks.”
The Zambezi Society has since engaged IMPACO, the Environmental Management
Agency, the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOAZ), the National
Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, the Lower Zambezi Tour Operators and
UNESCO National Commission over the matter.
A committee comprising members of SOAZ, UNESCO National Commission, Lower
Zambezi Tour Operators and the National Museums and Monuments to prepare a
position paper on the legal and technical implications of the proposed
mining venture has since been established.
Habbard has so far acknowledged that the venture would create human and
wildlife conflict as more people are introduced into the area, noise,
possible obstruction of river flow, and increased traffic and existing
safari and tour operations would be disturbed.
The company, however, says the project would bring positive impacts such
employment creation, more taxes in the form of royalties to government as
well as road and infrastructure upgrading in the park.

I guess uncle Bob will finish raping this country by mining after all the animals are gone. Damn Shame

With everything going on (Save, Metesi and now this), I'm more and more concerned about the future for Zim. Is there any possibility of the international community having any influence over Uncle Bob does? What a paradise it is and has the possibility to be, and what a shame that in a literal blink of the eye (as geography and zoology go) all can be essentially wiped out by one corrupt government.

I wonder who is financing Habbard Investments and or Geo-Associates. It could be Chinese or Australian. It might help to expose and lean on them. Like Shell's intention to frack [read f$#k] large tracts of the Karoo or the Xolobeni Dune mining on the Wild Coast. Pricks!
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-0...astal-mining-threat/

Not only is the Save Conservancy under siege, the future of the Chewore River (forming the boundary between the Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas) is looking rather bleak as well due to proposed surface mining!

To answer your question, Bwanna: NO. Read Ian Smith's "The Great Betrayal" and you'll completely understand why. The whole country is headed to hell in the end, and it's coming fast!

I bet old bob's chineese mates are up to their necks in this project just like all the other projects around africa that will slowly destroy a beautiful country

Plus 1 on this and unless things change here in November can we be far behing?

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
To answer your question, Bwanna: NO. Read Ian Smith's "The Great Betrayal" and you'll completely understand why. The whole country is headed to hell in the end, and it's coming fast!

IMPACO, a Zimbabwe based impact assessment consulting company (aka - scum bags) has issued the following invitation:

23 August 2012

FOR AFFECTED AND INTERESTED PARTIES

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Dear Sir/Madam

Invitation to attend a stakeholders workshop on the Environmental Impact Assessment for heavy minerals exploration in Chewore and Rukomechi Rivers

I am inviting your organization to attend a stakeholders' workshop to be held on Friday 31st of August 2012 from 9 AM to 1 PM at Mandel Training Centre, Corner Melton/Advlinn, Malborough, Harare. Please note that this workshop is a follow up to the press publication we previously made inviting stakeholder inputs.

Your organization may already be aware that Habbard Investments are proposing to undertake heavy minerals exploration in Chewore and Rukormechi Rivers in Mana Pools, Sapi, and Chewore areas. Habbard Investment is required by law, to undertake a series of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). These assessments seek to establish the likely impacts of mineral exploration activities and to recommend how proposed operations should minimize such impacts.

Habbard Investments also organized consultation meetings to provide awareness of the techinques it intends to use; resistivity survey and the sonic drill rig. IMPACO was appointed to undertake this work in an impartial manner and produce a report and recommendations for field operations, which Habbard Investments will be obliged to follow.

To this end IMPACO has employed a team of consultants in various fields of expertise to successfully complete this EIA. I therefore encourage you to voice any concerns on behalf of your organization. There is a time constraint, in that the EIA must be finalized by September.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Your faithfully,

Larry Chikukura,
Team Leader - IMPACO

On 31st August 2012, The Zambezi Society attended a stakeholders meeting at the invitation of Impact Assessment Consultancy IMPACO (www.impaco.org ) on behalf of Habbard Investments, to discuss the Environment Impact Assessment for heavy minerals exploration in the Chewore and Rukomechi Rivers in Northern Zimbabwe. This was a follow up to the company’s press publication in July 2012, inviting stakeholder inputs.

The invitation stated: “ Habbard Investment is required by law, to undertake a series of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). These assessments seek to establish the likely impacts of mineral exploration activities and to recommend how proposed operations should minimize such impacts. Habbard Investments also organized consultation meetings to provide awareness of the techniques it intends to use; resistivity survey and the sonic drill rig. IMPACO was appointed to undertake this work in an impartial manner and produce a report and recommendations for field operations, which Habbard Investments will be obliged to follow. To this end IMPACO has employed a team of consultants in various fields of expertise to successfully complete this EIA. I therefore encourage you to voice any concerns on behalf of your organization. There is a time constraint, in that the EIA must be finalized by September.”

Attendance

The meeting was professionally conducted and well attended by about 50 stakeholders from the public and private sectors. Habbard Investments was represented by Mr Paul Chimbodza and Mr Lloyd Hove and by IMPACO, the consultancy employed by them to conduct the EIA.

The Zambezi Society was represented by, Richard Maasdorp (Strategic Director), Peter Musto (Projects Co-ordinator), Des Matete (Legal Advisor), Nyasha Madziva (MIT student and Youth representative), and Wonder Matemaska (Mining engineer advisor).

Background

Habbard Investments explained that they have acquired Special Grants for Exploration for Heavy Minerals Sands in the Zambezi Valley under Section IX of the Zimbabwe Mines and Minerals Act as follows: -

SG 5553 Rukomechi (45ha)

SG 5554 Chewore (65ha)

Why the Zambezi Valley?

According to Habbard Investments, the rivers in the Zambezi Valley have been chosen for the following reasons:
■Favourable geology
■High grade metamorphic belt of the Zambezi escarpment contains source rocks for Heavy Mineral Sands
■All drainage is into the valley offering a natural mineral sorting mechanism
■Geologically known and mapped fluvial fan is of geologic interest
■Reduction in gradient from escarpment into the Valley encourages deposition of heavies
■Potential multi-million dollar revenue earner

The EIA process & stakeholder consultation

They are statutorily required to seek approval from the Environment Management Agency (EMA) via an Environmental Impact Assessment EIA process for exploration only for heavy mineral sands at this stage. They explained that if their explorations are successful, they will have to seek separate approvals. This EIA process requires the involvement of the following stakeholders:
■ Ministry of Mines and Mining Development
■ Parks and Wildlife Authority
■ National Museums and Monuments
■ Chamber of Mines
■ Local Authorities, Council and Chiefs
■ Local Business
■ Special Interest Groups
■ Individuals



Exploration Process

They described their exploration process as follows:
■Excavation of 1-metre-deep pits in the sand of the rivers,
■Drilling of augur holes every 1km down the centre of the riverbeds
■Trucking of samples out of the area and driving of vehicle through the access roads of the National Park/Safari Areas.
■An exploration team consisting of a team of 5 people using a mobile camp. T

They estimate that the exploration will take two months per river.



Future Mining

Habbard Investments did not give details of their possible future mining operation, should explorations be successful, saying they need the exploration result first. However, it is clear that their intentions, subject to viability, are to mine. IMPACO said that they would be making a request from their client for the possible mining methods, and these would then be circulated. They insisted that in all their operations they would take all reasonable measures to protect the environment, including, if necessary sanitising certain areas. They made much of the “positive” economic and social benefits of mining in this area, and urged that Zimbabweans need to engage each other in finding “home-brewed solutions towards sustainable exploitation of resources.. without the influence of external forces”.

Objections

Strong objections to the proposed minerals exploration (and subsequent mining) were voiced by conservation NGOs and representatives of both the private and public sectors. The major objections raised had to do with the potential long term impacts of such a proposal on the cultural, biodiversity and tourism benefits of the Mana Pools/Sapi/Chewore area as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Park, Biosphere Reserve, International Bird Area, wetland and Trans-Frontier Conservation Area. Objections from the public sector came from The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) (which expressed itself strongly opposed to alluvial mining in river beds, citing existing examples throughout Zimbabwe of the destabilisation of river systems through mining activities), from from the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority, from the Department of Museums and Monuments which objects to mining activity but not necessarily exploration, and from the Ministry of Tourism which was concerned that the issue should not become an international one. It was pointed out by many that since the area is already internationally recognised as a World Heritage property, this is already a global issue and will unavoidably attract international publicity through the internet and be subject to pressure from the outside world.



Response to Objections

Habbard gave the following “Corrections” in response to some of the objections raised:
■Impaco (the EIA consultancy) is fully legitimate
■Exploration is not mining
■Habbard is not insensitive to the environment and fragile nature of Mana Pools
■EIA process is Habbard’s initiative
■Process not politically driven (they have received e-mails and verbal abuse to this effect)
■Mining activities can take place in World Heritage Sites (they gave examples of a $400 million uranium project in a Tanzanian game park; Mt Nimba Iron Ore Project-Cote d’Ivoire and Kangaluwi Copper project in Zambia by Australian owned Mwembeshi /Zambezi Resources.

World Heritage Sites threatened by Mining

According to the International Union of Conservation (IUCN), African natural World Heritage sites that are increasingly threatened by commercial mining and oil/gas projects include:
■Virunga National Park (DRC)
■Comoe National Park (Cote D’Ivoire)
■Mt Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Cote D’Ivoire and Guinea)
■Dja Wildlife Reserve (Cameroon)
■Kahuzi-Biega National Park (DRC)
■Selous Game Reserve (Tanzania)
■Air and Tenere Nature Reserve (Niger)
■Manovo-Gounda Nature Reserves (Central African Republic)
■Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas (Zimbabwe).

This represents 24% of the 37 African natural and mixed World Heritage Sites, or one in four sites is threatened. This is an increase from 16% in 2009.