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Zimbabweans urged to stop blaming Chinese investors
2 hrs ago |
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Former Energy Minister Fortune Chasi has urged Zimbabweans to stop blaming Chinese investors for widespread environmental destruction, arguing that corruption and weak governance among locals are the real drivers of mining-related ecological damage.
His comments follow public outrage over the ongoing destruction of Mutare's Christmas Pass Mountain, where Chinese operators, allegedly working with political elites, have been accused of tearing apart the iconic landmark for mineral extraction. Videos circulating on social media have shown the scale of damage, sparking anger among residents.
This incident adds to a growing list of environmentally sensitive sites across the country being ravaged by mining activities, including Boterekwa in Shurugwi and Muvaradonha Wilderness in Muzarabani.
Responding to debates on social media platform X, Chasi said while Chinese miners are frequently vilified, the real accountability lies with local officials who approve and profit from such projects.
"For years, we have blamed the Chinese for destroying our environment through mining, but the truth is harder to face - the real culprits are locals. Local officials sign the licences, local elites pocket the ‘facilitation fees'. Local silence allows rivers to turn into sludge. The Chinese did not corrupt our system; they found it already for sale," he wrote.
Chasi stressed that the issue was fundamentally a governance problem rather than a nationality issue. "Every destroyed riverbed tells a local story, a signature, a bribe, a blind eye. Foreign miners only exploit the vacuum we created," he said.
He warned against what he called "convenient self-deception" of blaming outsiders, noting that environmental destruction thrives because of selective enforcement and compromised oversight.
"The reform we need is not about nationality; it is about integrity. Until our institutions stop trading ecological integrity for quick cash, nothing will change. The Chinese did not destroy our mountains and rivers. Our signatures did," Chasi concluded.
His comments follow public outrage over the ongoing destruction of Mutare's Christmas Pass Mountain, where Chinese operators, allegedly working with political elites, have been accused of tearing apart the iconic landmark for mineral extraction. Videos circulating on social media have shown the scale of damage, sparking anger among residents.
This incident adds to a growing list of environmentally sensitive sites across the country being ravaged by mining activities, including Boterekwa in Shurugwi and Muvaradonha Wilderness in Muzarabani.
Responding to debates on social media platform X, Chasi said while Chinese miners are frequently vilified, the real accountability lies with local officials who approve and profit from such projects.
Chasi stressed that the issue was fundamentally a governance problem rather than a nationality issue. "Every destroyed riverbed tells a local story, a signature, a bribe, a blind eye. Foreign miners only exploit the vacuum we created," he said.
He warned against what he called "convenient self-deception" of blaming outsiders, noting that environmental destruction thrives because of selective enforcement and compromised oversight.
"The reform we need is not about nationality; it is about integrity. Until our institutions stop trading ecological integrity for quick cash, nothing will change. The Chinese did not destroy our mountains and rivers. Our signatures did," Chasi concluded.
Source - NewZimbabwe
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