Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development will visit the Deka River in Matabeleland North to check how badly it has been polluted.
The Deka River, which flows into the Zambezi River, is heavily polluted with metals and industrial waste from coal mining and power companies, both local and foreign.
This pollution is putting the health of nearby villagers, their animals, and even wildlife at risk.
Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Polite Kambamura, revealed the planned visit during a recent parliamentary session while responding to Hwange East MP Joseph Bonda. Said Kambamura:
The Mines and Mining Development Ministry is going to undertake an exercise to visit the site and assess the concerns which have been raised.
Bonda revealed that some villagers died last year after consuming water contaminated with sulphur. Said Bonda:
I think the government neglected some of the people who are living along those places. This mantra of leaving no one and no place behind is leaving behind some people who are living in Hwange.
This issue is well known that there are miners who are mining along the Deka River. The Environment and Mines ministers know that very well.
Bonda said that over the years, some villagers have suffered from skin diseases, stomach pains, and diarrhoea after drinking contaminated water from the river.
More: Southern Eye
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