The Secretary of State in Manica province, Edson Macuácua, has set a maximum period of 30 days to end the pollution of rivers resulting from the activity of gold mining in the district of Manica, in the province of the same name, central Mozambique.
Cited by Notícias, Macuacua visited a few days ago the area of Malidza, administrative post of Penhalonga, where he climbed one of the main rivers of that region to assess, up close, the level of water pollution. Malidza has three major rivers – the Revuè, the Nhamhama and the Mangunda – which are heavily polluted by illegal mining.
As a consequence, the population, estimated at 26,000 inhabitants, is forced to look for alternative sources of water. Many families drill home boreholes and the practice of agriculture and livestock is also conditioned due to illegal mining activity, which is reflected in the pollution of river waters.
In the town of Malidza alone there are more than 300 people engaged in gold mining. Most carry out the activity without observing the rules for a sustainable and safe exploitation.
The pollution of the rivers has a negative impact on the lives of the population because it damages other activities, such as agriculture, degrading the quality of the soil and affecting irrigation, as well as the watering of livestock and small animals.
In the occasion, Edson Macuácua demanded greater commitment from the community leaders to put an end to the problem of river pollution. “It is a worrying situation, because it also affects human health. The challenge is to work with the community leaders so that the situation is resolved,” he said.
The leader affirmed that the Government is not against the exploration of mineral resources, but only demands that it be done in a regulated way and that it respects good practices.
To this end, he recommends that the prospectors organize themselves into associations or cooperatives.
“We, as a government, have to cooperate. We want this activity to be environmentally friendly and to take place without polluting the water and without compromising the development of other activities, such as agriculture and livestock, so that we can guarantee the diversification of the economy and, above all, human health. This water is also consumed by people,” he said.
