Introduction
Looking east, investment policies by both Mozambican and Zimbabwean government’s pledging with Chinese mining companies brings the natural environment in jeopardy, even human rights especially to local vulnerable majority community dwellers. The Human rights of locals are being violated by the mining companies. There is more disgrace than grace.
Chinese mining and environment
Environment defined as the conditions or the surroundings in which a human being or all living organs such as plants or animals live or operate.
The mining activities executed by the Chinese companies in Mozambique and Zimbabwe are leaving communities with disgrace. Taking example of Chinese gold mining companies localized around Manica district in Mozambique the district which limits Mozambique and Zimbabwe also in Zimbabwe Chinese mining activities taking place within Shurungwi Boterekwa area. In Mozambique the mining activities being executed are leaving open pits sometimes with mud which endangered the lives of human beings and their livestock. The river Revue in Mozambique Manica district is now flowing mud instead of water, therefore the creatures living in water are now in danger, even human lives are now in critical position because people used to drink that water, due to scarcity of potable water. For agriculture purposes the water is now not suitable to water the plants, the banana plantation used to use that water but unfortunately it is now said the bananas produced there have now lost the quality for export. The water is now unsuitable to use because of the chemicals like mercury used by Chinese companies to extract gold.
Shurungwi Boterekwa mountainous area the Chinese mining companies are now destroying the mountain and along Zvishavane road there are also a lot of open pits left there. All these mining activities both in Mozambique and Zimbabwe create environmental pollution.
Above images shows open pits left behind, these areas used to farming land for the locals with example of African homestead shown on the right image
Revue river Mozambique Manica district polluted water flowing with Chinese mining company machinery mounted in the river
Human rights
Human rights as the rights invested to all human being by the fact of being a human being without looking at his/her nationality, race, religion, gender and even status.
As human beings living with the natural resources within their community they got rights such as health, communication, house with dignity and education.
Right to health as the companies benefiting from the resources within that community were supposed to build clinics and give health service to their workers and community.
Right to communication, road construction rather than destroying those they found, for example Boterekwa dangerous slope area the Chinese are not concerned about the state of the road is now in bad conditions.
Right to housing people being evacuated from where they used to live long back without compensation, even their workers are treated like animals living in shacks which are inhuman.
Right to education by building schools in areas they operates
Conclusion
The environment is in danger where the Chinese mining companies operate, and contacting their activities without considering human rights of the locals. No social and economic benefits to the locals, even the few working for them, except bringing environmental hazards characterized by disgrace and poverty.
