THE ENVIRONMENTAL Management Agency (EMA) has fined a Chinese-owned cement maker US$5 000 for committing some environmental violations in Hurungwe in Mashonaland West province.
EMA, which is a statutory body responsible for ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and protection of the environment, punished Labenmon Investments, which is establishing Wih-Zim Construction Material Investments Cement Manufacturing plant in Magunje in Hurungwe District, after realising that it had failed to comply with the conditions set in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Certificate.
In an inspection report compiled by EMA after it conducted an inspection visit at Wih-Zim Construction Material Investments Cement Manufacturing plant in July, the environmental watchdog found Labenmon Investments not to have complied with the conditions of the EIA Certificate numbers L10000034346 and L10000099080, which were supposed to be adhered to before commencement of works.
The inspection visit came after EMA was on 4 February 2025 ordered by Chinhoyi High Court Judge Justice Philda Muzofa to carryout investigations pertaining to the alleged breach of the special conditions on the EIA Certificate following protests by some villagers, who reside in Chasara and Kapere villages in Magunje.
At the same time, Justice Muzofa stopped Labenmon Investments from carrying out further commencement works at Wih-Zim Construction Material Investments Cement Manufacturing plant pending the outcome of investigations by EMA.
Despite this, the villagers, who are aggrieved that Labenmon Investments has invaded their farming and grazing land, complained that the mining company had not ceased operations as ordered by the High Court and on 26 February 2025, with the assistance of Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, filed an application for contempt of court against the Chinese owned company accusing it of violating the terms of the High Court order. The villagers’ application is yet to be determined by the High Court.
Now, EMA has backed the villagers’ assertions after ordering Labenmon Investments to stop all project implementation activities until EIA certificate conditions are adhered to.
EMA disclosed that Labenmon Investments had been constructing some “staff quarters” and moulding some bricks at the site including carrying out ground clearing and levelling on 10 hectares of land.
Labenmon Investments, EMA said, had proceeded with implementing the project while disregarding EIA certificate conditions of relocation and compensation of affected families while some villagers’ fields had been affected by a diversion road that had been constructed.
In addition, EMA stated that a Communal Lands Occupation certificate, which should be obtained from Hurungwe Rural District Council before commencement of works as provided under section 9 of the Communal Lands Act, was not presented by Labenmon Investments for verification.
As part of its recommendations, EMA said there should be continuous monitoring of the Labenmon Investments project so as to ensure compliance with its EIA conditions as it is a sensitive high impact project.
ENDS
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