BUHERA– After decades of using polluted water villagers in the diamond belt are now forced to scavenge for water in dry Save River for their livestock as Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company slime dams have cut off water flow, it has been learnt.
At least 450 households in Buhera South and Mutare Rural depending on water from the river have for the past two months have been digging shallow wells in the river to provide water to their livestock on a daily basis.
ZCDC erected the slime dams in August to ostensibly deal with water pollution but has ended up cutting off water supply downstream Save River from the diamond fields to Beichnough Bridge.
As a result ZCDC has cordoned off water supply in the polluted Save River for a stretch of over 30 kilometers in the dry regions of Buhera and Manicaland in areas surrounding diamond claims.
Communities have been using polluted water for years since diamond mining commenced over a decade ago, while thousands of livestock also depend on the water from the river.
Nelson Mangwadza, a village head in one of the affected villages in Ward 31 called on government to intervene immediately by halting diamond operations by ZCDC.
He said this phenomenon had last occurred during the biting drought of 1992, as he slammed government for relegating its own people into poverty in its pursuit of diamonds.
“Since my birth this has never happened that the whole river is dried up, in 1992 when the biting drought hit, some parts of the river dried up but we still had sections to cater for our livestock.
“ZCDC as a government entity should not be doing this to use even the Chinese never cut off our water supply they just polluted it but at least we got something to use for our livelihoods especially the small gardens that we rely on,” said Mangwadza.
He added, “Government should do something immediately and not let people die while they look on with folded arms.”
Community members expressed their displeasure at this latest development as most families in one of the driest regions in Zimbabwe rely on small horticulture gardens which they water using Save River.
Women in particular have borne the brunt as they are now forced to dig makeshift wells in the river to water their family gardens.
Linear Rukombo said that when water used to flow she depended on gardening particularly, planting beans tomatoes potatoes and vegetables to feed her family and supplement her income.
She said her freedom has been affected as she does not have any alternative means of income to fend for her family, as well food to feed her family.
Rukombo said because of their proximity to the river she used to earn as much as $50 per month from tomatoes while selling beans through out the year.
“Our life has been greatly affected and we no longer have the freedom to go about with the way we used to make a living from gardening. I used to grow tomatoes, beans, potatoes and vegetables when Save River was flowing and my family depended on the garden.
“Now the water has been cut off by ZCDC and this a challenge to us and how we are going to progress because I used to earn as much as $50 from tomatoes while beans was my main earner because I could sell it throughout the year.
“People used to come from afar to come and buy beans from my home but now I cannot continue with the garden project because I have to use a shovel or hoe to create a well and this limits the amount of products in the garden.
“Government has sentenced us to continued hunger by stopping water flow in the river we want them to ensure that water flows as soon as possible,” she said.
Non-Governmental organizations including Zimbabwe Environment Law Association (ZELA), a leading coalition of Community Based Organisations have continued to advocate for the rehabilitation of Save River under the Save Odzi Community Network Trust (SOCNET).
The coalition runs under the banner of Women’s Forums, formed in communities affected by mining activities to provide an alternative means of sustainable livelihoods for women.
ZELA has established 12 Women’s Forums in three Manicaland districts, Chimanimani, Chipinge and Buhera, with an average of 30 members.
The women are engaged in income generating projects which include rearing of goats, savings clubs, poultry production as well pen fattening.
