Lithium curse: Bikita Minerals isolates villagers from water source

Morris Bishi

Masvingo—Residents of Murape village are facing a severe crisis due to the construction of a slime dam by the nearby Bikita Minerals, which has not only cut off their access to clean water but also poses a threat to their livelihoods, an investigation has established.

For decades, the residents of Murape village in Ward 11, Bikita West, have relied on a protected well at Nollen Farm for their domestic water needs.

This well has been a lifeline for the community, providing a reliable source of clean water for both people and livestock. However, the recent construction of a slime dam by Bikita Minerals has left over 300 villagers without access to this crucial resource.

The slime dam, used to gather residue from the mining activities, has effectively cut off the villagers from their only water source.

The situation has been exacerbated by the El Nino-induced drought, which has further strained the limited water resources in the area.

Villagers now have to travel approximately 4 kilometers to fetch water from the nearby Badmore Primary School.

The villagers’ plight is further compounded by the threat of eviction.

Bikita Minerals claims that the well and the land on which it is situated fall within its mining lease area.

This has led to fears among the villagers that they may be forcibly removed from their homes to make way for the company’s expansion.

More than 12 families have already been displaced after Bikita Minerals dug a trench that surrounded their homes, cutting off access to their agricultural fields.

As a result, some have been forced to abandon their homes of 25 years and return to their rural villages in search of alternative livelihoods.

In January 2020, the Chinese company Sinomine Resource Group purchased Bikita Minerals from African Minerals Ltd for $200 million.

Sinomine Resource Group, headquartered in Beijing, China, was established on 2 June, 1999, and has since expanded its operations to acquire Bikita Minerals, a significant addition to its portfolio.

Since their resettlement in 2000 as part of the land reform programme, the Murape villagers enjoyed peaceful co-existence with the previous owners of Bikita Minerals.

However, the situation took a turn for the worse two years ago when Sinomine Resources Group inherited the company, leading to tensions and conflicts that have disrupted the lives of the local community.

Fanuel Chahwahwa, one of the affected family heads, was forced to abandon his home and return to his rural village scores of kilometres away after realising that everything he had worked for was being destroyed.

He lamented the loss of his entire herd of cattle and, most recently, his homestead which he was compelled to leave behind.

“We lived peacefully alongside the previous mine owners, who never interfered with our presence. However, everything changed with the arrival of the Chinese owners in 2022. They dug a deep trench, over 2 meters deep, which made it difficult for us to access our main water source.

“Furthermore, they constructed a slime dam at the water’s edge, forcing families to abandon their homes without receiving any compensation.

“In my case, the trench ran right through my property, cutting off access to my fields. Left with no choice, I was forced to leave my homestead and relocate with my family. Throughout this process, we were never consulted or offered any form of assistance,” Chahwahwa told NewsHub in a telephone interview.

He was among numerous villagers that this publication contacted to get their testimonies regarding the predicament they are now facing because of the operations of the mine.

The councillor for Ward 11, Lawrence Vhovha, who also serves as the Murape village head, expressed deep concern that the living conditions in the area were rapidly deteriorating, despite numerous appeals to both the mine and government authorities.

He warned that the future of more than 50 households in Murape hangs in the balance, as they continue to suffer at the hands of Bikita Minerals.

“Living conditions in our area are rapidly deteriorating, despite our numerous pleas to the mine and government authorities. We are now getting tired of telling our story to different groups without getting assistance. The future of more than 50 households in Murape is uncertain, as we are not getting any protection from the mistreatment we are receiving at the hands of new mine owners” said Vhovha.

Richard Charumbira, a lifelong resident of Murape, said the village is his only home, having been born 24 years ago and raised there.

He said the community now faces a daunting task in accessing clean water, often requiring treacherous journeys of over 4km to fetch water which has become a shared burden, as women, who traditionally bear this responsibility, now require assistance due to the challenging circumstances.

“Murape is my only home, I was born and raised here. We are now forced to travel over 4km to access clean water. It has become a struggle that requires both men and women to work together, as the ladies need help under these difficult conditions.” Charumbira told NewsHub.

Mountain Mujakachi, director of the Bikita Institute of Land and Development (BILAD), rapped Bikita Minerals for disregarding the community’s major concerns, despite the company’s constitutional obligation to protect the community.

While acknowledging the importance of production and development to the country, he emphasized that miners have a responsibility to engage with villagers and provide fair compensation for the harm caused.

He added that communities lack the power to halt the development, but stressed that their rights and interests must be respected.

“Bikita Minerals is ignoring the community’s major concerns, which is unacceptable. The constitution is clear, the company has a duty to protect the community. We understand that development is important for the country, but that does not mean the miners can override villagers’ rights. They must engage with the community and provide fair compensation for the harm they have caused” said Mujakachi.

This publication also established that, during a community dialogue on natural resource governance hosted by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) at Nyika Growth Point last Wednesday, Collin Nikisi, the Bikita Minerals public relations officer, acknowledged that the company was aware of the challenges faced by the Murape community.

This includes the unavailability of potable water.

He claimed that that Bikita Minerals was collaborating with the local legislator, Danny Makusha, to address this issue by drilling a borehole, which is planned for the near future.

“Let me hasten to say there is a phrase which says water is life. We have drilled 36 boreholes since 2022 in Bikita West, Masvingo North and Masvingo West. We were supposed to have resolved this issue by the time we are attending this meeting.

“We engaged the local legislator who is also the development partner. We will take care of many other issues including diesel, pumps and the legislator will provide a borehole rig. We are mindful of the water challenges that Murape community is facing. We assure the councilor that, by the end of the year, water should have been restored at Murape” said Nikisi.

Makusha, the area lawmaker, told NewsHub that he had engaged Bikita Minerals over the matter and promised to request the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to drill a deep borehole to solve the water problems that the villagers were facing.

A senior manager at Bikita Minerals revealed that the decision to dig trenches along the mine’s boundaries, which has impacted nearby villagers and poses a risk to animals and human beings, was proposed by the Joint Operations Command (JOC). 

The JOC brings together representatives of the army, police and central intelligence, together with related security organs.

The trench, it was established, was established to curb the widespread theft of lithium from the mine, as the trenches will hinder vehicles from accessing the area to load the mineral.