EMA stops John Nkomo initiated Manicaland project

A joint mining project in Manicaland forged by the late Vice President John Nkomo between the Zimbabwe Development Trust and a Russian mining company Ozgeo is in limbo after they were ordered to cease operations.

The joint venture company is involved in alluvial gold and diamond mining activities.

A delegation representing the partnership told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality that they were told to stop operations by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).

They  pleaded with the committee to help reverse EMA's decision as it has impacted negatively on its business.

DTZ-Ozgeo reported that while close to 500 workers have been made redundant, it has also lost an average production of between 20 and 30 kilogrammes of gold output per month.

EMA stopped the company under the instruction that Ozgeo must concentrate on rehabilitating the environment it operates in before fully commencing work.

The government has directed that all alluvial mining activities stop due to environmental degradation and pollution, especially the contamination of water.

However, experts say there is need to view with discretion cases of those companies which use underground and not river water in mining activities.

The joint venture company revealed plans to increase production outputs in the next two years.

Nkomo died last in January 2013 after a long battle with cancer.