The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere and Edwin Mwase
Villagers in the Lupane-Lubimbi basin as well as Gwayi are disappointed with the lack of progress on various energy projects earmarked for these areas as they were hoping to benefit through employment creation and community development once the projects take off.
It has been almost two decades since the first discoveries of coal-bed methane gas (CBM) reserves were made in Lupane but up to now no concrete efforts have been made to utilise the resource and the locals are not amused.
In the last decade, the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, China-Africa Sunlight and Discovery Investments are all understood to have acquired gas concessions in the Matebeleland North province.
All of them are yet to start extraction.
A visit to the various sites unravelled lack of progress, contrary to reports that extraction of the gas at some of these concessions had already begun.
In an interview, Chief Vusimusi Khumalo Mabhikwa of Lupane said what is there now are only promises from companies who are interested in investing in the area.
“At the moment I have heard promises only. They seem to be concrete and I expect some development soon,” he said.
“The main problem, however, is the lack of funding for the projects and I appeal to all stakeholders to put their heads together so that we start exploiting gas for the benefit of the community and the nation at large.”
A number of villagers who spoke to our news crew indicated that they are now losing hope of ever benefiting from the resources of their land.
A 28-year-old man from Gwayi, Mr Lungisani Moyo said he was disappointed that since the ground-breaking ceremony for the building of a multi-billion dollar thermal station in the area, not even construction material has been delivered to the proposed site.
This is despite the fact that China-Africa Sunlight Energy reportedly announced that it had begun work on the 600 megawatt (MW) thermal power station and coal mine at a cost of $1,3 billion on its Gwayi concessions.
“When the ground-breaking ceremony was done in 2012 we were all very happy because we thought there was going to be employment creation and other community development projects but its taking too long and I am becoming impatient like most of my fellow villagers,” he said.
“Its baffling that people are being told that work has already begun when not even a brick has been delivered to the site.” Moyo said it was against ZimAsset that the Gwayi project continues to stall when it can improve livelihoods in the area and the country at large.
“The President has always said resources should benefit local people first but it is sad that our community is still in poverty because we cannot exploit the resource. So we appeal to higher authorities to assist,” he said.
Villagers in Ngondo village in Lupane say there is a gas borehole which was reportedly drilled by Shangani Energy Explorations (SEE) in 1994 as part of explorations but has been lying idle and leaking gas ever since.Villagers are also angered that the idle gas borehole has also been spilling into the environment resulting in residual salty water which they believe could be toxic.
Conrad Dloldlo who lives near the leaking borehole said he has always had a hard time preventing his cattle from drinking the water.
“This borehole is very old, SEE are the ones who drilled it back in 1994 but I don’t know why they abandoned it,” he said.
“The gas is leaking as we speak and if you light a match stick there will be fire, if you like I can demonstrate.”
Moyo added: “However, my fear is that the water which is coming out of the pipes could be dangerous to animals and the environment as it is spilling into the ecosystem.
“I have had a hard time trying to keep my cattle from coming here because they like the salty water but I am not sure if it is safe.”
However, some have expressed satisfaction on the progress made by Discovery Investment which has already erected some equipment at their concession.
It is understood that Discovery Investment are ready to start extraction but are only waiting for the green light from Environment Management Agency (EMA) to start extraction.
Discovery Investments also indicated that its explorations have established that there is enough gas on its 100 000 acre of land to supply industrial and domestic activities.
China Africa Sunlight indicated in 2013 that it had finished exploration and that they were waiting certification for the environmental impact assessment from EMA before beginning construction.
