Dear Editor

We Murowa community would like to register our total displeasure with the operations of Murowa Diamonds in view of the rising covid 19 infections and related death. As it stands the mine is a dangerous super spreader as it has not “locked in” its hundreds of workers most of whom come from covid hot spots. The mine didn’t heed the government’s call to de-congest and all its contract workers commute from their homes thereby risking the whole community.

As we write covid 19 infectious and deaths are rising tremendously with the community. Surely the mine should have done better to protect or at least mitigate the risk of covid 19 transmission to the local communities. We understand the mine doesn’t test for covid butbreky on symptoms.

Surely that’s absurd. This mine has the luxury to ferry its employees to and from work using an expensive plane but doesn’t care about testing its employees at a time covid related deaths are skyrocketing. We have said it on numerous occasions that this mine doesn’t care about lives especially those of its contract workers and the surrounding communities.

The contract workers are more like modern day slaves working for more than 5 years as causul worker with no pension. Communities’ homes and buildings are cracking and collapsing due to the devastating blasting being carried out by the mine. Most homes and buildings are now too dangerous to stay in as they have been reduced to death traps.

We urge the government to intervene immediately so as to avoid the approaching catastrophe that will wipe out the whole of Murowa Community.

We also pray for the government to listen to our grievances regarding the operations of this senseless and careless mine which has brought us more miseries, sorrow, deaths and poverty. Its a solid fact the diamonds have not brought any tangible development to Murowa ward. The mine is simply looting our resources without ploughing back to the community while those responsible for devolution are sleeping on duty or maybe getting fat khaki envelopes.

Concerned Villagers

Murowa Community Zvishavane