More than 50 families face eviction from Zimasco’s Chrome village in Mtorashanga after the mining companies declared the houses a health hazard. Eighty-three other families were evicted two weeks ago.
by Nunurai Jena
The evictions that have sucked in Zanu PF are likely to explode as the remaining villagers have vowed to stay put saying they have nowhere to go. But Zimasco said there was no going back as the houses pose a health risk due to “structural defects”.
Some of the people who have been at the compound for the last 34 years accuse Zimasco of being insensitive to their plight as they were now considered a “spent force.”
Tobias Timothy of Malawian origin who is in his late 70s said he knows no other place to call home besides Mtorashanga Chrome village.
“They used me for a very long time but surprisingly they now say the house I lived in for the last 30 years suddenly poses a health risk. Where do they think I can go?” asked the frail-looking Timothy.
He is not alone in this predicament as more than 50 other families will find themselves out in the cold come August 1, the day they should vacate the houses as per the notice given to them.
Ambuya Margaret Chinowona said her husband worked for Zimasco for more than 25 years before he succumbed to a mining-related illness. She said she was going nowhere. She said the company wanted to relocate them to an area where the affected families have to pay rentals.
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“I don’t have US$45 to pay towards rentals and rates to Zimasco as my husband is now late and all my children are not working since the mine retrenched workers some time ago,” said Chinowona.
Zimasco general manager Clara Sadomba disputed the figure of those facing evictions. She said only 19 families face eviction as others have voluntarily left in compliance with the directive to vacate.
“In March this year a decision was made that the houses were to be demolished to remove the potential health, safety and environmental challenges associated with their existence,” said Sadomba.
“Tenants were offered alternative accommodation in other Zimasco villages provided they meet the terms and conditions of the company including the payment of monthly rentals. A number of families took up the offer leaving just 19 families still occupying the houses in Chrome village.”
Zimasco had more than 1 000 houses in Mtorashanga built over a number of years in line with the company’s operations then. Sadomba said the houses were constructed to accommodate Zimasco’s employees and those of companies contracted to mine claims to supply the chrome miner with ore.
Sadomba said due to various factors which include the decline of ferrochrome prices, mining activities by Zimasco decreased in the Mtorashanga/North Dyke. She said this prompted the company to reduce the number of houses it required to support operations in the North Dyke.
“Chrome village, which consists of 110 houses together with Reagent village with 23 houses were identified as two of the villages which the company would no longer use. Examinations of the houses in Chrome village established that the houses had structural defects which constituted a safety and health hazard,” said Sadomba.
“Furthermore, as these houses would no longer be maintained or serviced by the company, the hazards associated with their continued occupation posed significant danger to human lives.” What irked most former employees is that the Zanu PF leadership in Mtorashanga at first sympathised with them but have now dumped them.
Gilbert Madziva accused the local Zanu PF leadership of shifting allegiance to Zimasco management.
Sadomba said the company was evicting villagers with the blessings of the local and provincial political leadership.
“Local political and provincial leadership were also engaged to persuade the tenants to vacate the houses,” she said.
Sadomba further said none of the current occupants of Chrome village were Zimasco employees.
She said the current occupants of Chrome villages were illegal occupants and were not paying any rentals towards service provision.