Vale Mozambique suspends activities in Moatize after “protest” – Watch

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Vale Mozambique suspends activities in Moatize after “protest” – Watch

8:14 CAT | 05 Oct 2018

Photo courtesy of Amos Fernando / Facebook

The community that lives along the fence of the company Vale Moçambique, in the village of Moatize, Tete province, yesterday “decided to invade the mining area, to have all [machinery] operators stopped by force, without however vandalising the machines,” reports the Association of Legal Support and Counselling to Communities [AAAJC – Associação de Apoio e Assistência Jurídica às Comunidades] on its Facebook page today.

According to the same source, “the population complains, among other issues, of excessive pollution, acceleration of the decay of houses due to explosion of dynamites.”

AAAJC reports that”the company, under pressure, sent Team Security Officer Alan Cabral to talk to about two 200 people who wanted to get to the offices and demand the respect for their rights.”

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The Vale representative “assured community member Maxwel Abreu that the machines will not restart until this problem is solved” and “they all agreed, in the presence of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, to wait for the resolution of the case before the resumption of activities,” adds AAJC.

Today, October 5 2018, a meeting was to be held at the Moatize Institute of Geology and Mines, between the company Vale Moçambique, the community of Bagamoyo and the potters, to begin the negotiation process to solve the problems, concluded the AAJC post.

Today, O País reports that the area where large machines and trucks are usually carrying coal is empty and silent due to the suspension of activities of the Brazilian miner on Thursday because of the protests of the population living along the mine’s fence who complain of air pollution and noise.

O País adds that on Friday, “Vale’s management met with the population,” but that “the protesters expressed dissatisfaction” at the end of the meeting, while Vale “recognises the issues raised by the population and ensures that a team has already been created to solve the problem”.

ALSO READ: Moatize: More than 1,600 people at risk from mining pollution