ZCDC’s Willingness to Give Back to the Community , Amazing

Billan Matambo Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union (ZIDAWU)

ZCDC’S WILLINGNESS TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ,AMAZING.

There was tackling of horns and finger pointing as anger mounts between the villagers of Chiadzwa and Zcdc representative at Betera primary school, situated in the diamond mining concession. A meeting was organised by Marange Development Trust(MDT) on the 14th of April 2018 and was attended by different cbos. Also present was Zcdc as the major stakeholder with the intention of engaging in a dialogue with the community.

Mr Malven Mudiwa gave a narration of the journey traveled by the community and trust fighting together the negative impacts of mining since 2014. The battles they fought as a trust,some won ,some lost and some with results still in suspense. Not forgetting the victory the community have against zcdc in 2017 when the courts ruled zcdc out on finding that they were operating without an EIA.

Admitting that previously their was bad blood between the community and the company “let’s open a new page and start over” said Mr Sugar Chagonda zcdc representative in his address. He promised that as a company they are ready and willing to built trust with the community ,fighting hand in hand for development, giving an example of Mkwada clinic which currently is in bad state and Zcdc has provided equipment to renovate it with immediate effect. He also acknowledge the community that everything is going to be alright and that the company is going to take community voices more seriously. However another trust Bocha Community Development Trust threatened to go ahead with the scheduled demonstration on the 23rd of April 2018 despite Zcdc’s attempt to engage in a dialogue with the community.

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