Africa-Press – Mozambique. Francisca Tomás, governor of the central Mozambican province of Manica, has announced that the suspension of mining in the province awaits a final decision from the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME).
The temporary suspension of mining follows denunciations from the local population, who have been complaining about environmental pollution, notably contamination of the rivers caused by artisanal mining. The pollution is affecting, for example, important sources of drinking water such as the Revue river and the Chicamba reservoir, causing serious public health problems.
According to Tomás, it is not up to the provincial government alone to make the decision “but we would like to halt all mining activity in this part of the country for an indefinite period. That’s what we are proposing.”
“The pollution of rivers is serious because it threatens the environment and public health. We see muddy rivers and polluted waters affecting the environment and public health. Therefore, let us join forces to combat this evil”, she said.
The governor calls for the support of all relevant bodies to stop this evil “that is endangering the environment and public health. Raising awareness among companies, prospectors’ associations and other stakeholders in gold mining should be the first step taken to stop the activity.”
“Our measure is to halt all activities for an indefinite period so that we can better organize ourselves for the rational exploitation of mineral resources without harming the environment and the lives of the population”, she said.
According to Tomás, dialogue should be fundamental in mobilizing miners to control the silting and pollution of river waters.
“The aim is to ensure sustainable exploitation and allow river beds to have clean water and the population to consume drinking water. The mercury and cyanide used in gold mining are washed into the rivers and endanger the environment and human health”, she explained.
Research, carried out by Púnguè University (UNIPUNGUE) has point out that waters of the Chicamba reservoir, a major source of drinking water for Chimoio, Manica, Gondola, Messica and other regions, are highly contaminated with mercury and cyanide due to mining.
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