Mozambique’s Attorney-General’s Office (PGR) is gathering evidence on alleged cases of environmental pollution associated with mining activities in Manica province, as part of an inspection drive aimed at assessing compliance with environmental and labour legislation by companies operating in the sector.
According to newspaper O País, the operation is being led by Attorney-General Américo Letela, who on Wednesday visited several mining companies in Manica district to examine mineral processing units, working conditions, and the environmental impact of mining activities.
During a visit to Mutapa Mining Processing (MMP), Letela met with management and workers, stressing that the PGR intends to verify whether labour rights are being upheld and to assess the environmental effects of mining operations. “We also want to know how the workers here have their rights safeguarded, we want to know about the issue of environmental impact and other matters,” he said.
According to the PGR, while MMP presented an organisational standard considered satisfactory, signs of potential non-compliance with environmental legislation were identified at other companies visited, with the information collected currently under analysis.
PGR spokesperson Ângelo Mathusse explained that the current phase is focused on gathering information to clarify pollution complaints and determine appropriate measures. “Elements have been collected to clarify this widely discussed pollution problem. We now need to carry out an assessment, draw the necessary conclusions, and, if necessary, move forward with measures to mitigate the pollution,” he stated.
The PGR’s inspection comes at a time when mining activities in Manica province have been facing increasing scrutiny, following complaints of environmental degradation, inadequate use of natural resources, and alleged negative impacts on local communities.
The operations are set to continue on Thursday in Vandúzi district, where Letela is expected to visit a mine known locally as “Seis Carros” to investigate alleged violations of a government decree suspending mining activities in that area, as well as to probe the recurring deaths of artisanal miners recorded in the region.
Source: Diário Económico
