Between consensus and mistrust: Social and corporate responsibility of Haiyu Mozambique Mining discussed in Angoche – Ikweli

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Between consensus and mistrust: Social and corporate responsibility of Haiyu Mozambique Mining discussed in Angoche – Ikweli

7:58 CAT | 01 Jun 2021

Image: Ikweli

The 12 communities directly and indirectly affected by the Sangage heavy sands project in Angoche district, Nampula province, have been discussing their inclusion in the activity and its benefits with the management of the company, local government, civil society and the Provincial Assembly.

The exploitation of heavy sands in Angoche is carried out Haiyu Mozambique Mining, a Chinese firm. Since it started operations in the area, relations with local communities have not been good, so much so that Amnesty International published a report on the violation of human rights in the community of Nagonha, one of those affected.

With the assistance of civil society, communities have waged several battles, including blocking vital access routes, to force the company and the government to share the benefits of mineral resource exploitation with them.

Despite suspicions, discomfort and threats, a window of hope and dialogue was opened in the process of preparing a new social and corporate responsibility plan for the company.

The document, prepared by a team of highly qualified consultants, was the result of concerns raised in the meetings held with the 12 communities.

But, with the Local Development Agreement already fine-tuned and almost ready for signing, there are still those who are suspicious about its real implementation.

On Monday last week (24-05), the Angoche district government meeting room hosted the final meeting to present the plan. As required by law, the district administrator presided over the meeting in the presence of the president of the Provincial Assembly of Nampula.

After the presentation, in the debate phase, community leaders were still reticent about the company’s commitment to putting the plan into effect.

What leaders want is for communities not merely to pick up the crumbs from the great wealth they hold, but to be included in the benefits fairly and honestly, not as beggars.

The leader of the Serema community, for example, complained about the dust caused by Haiyu Mozambique Mining trucks en route from factory to port. They load the ore without protection, leaving residue in the community environment, he said.

Vendors and businesspeople also feel excluded from the benefits of mining the heavy sands exploitation, managing to enter the meeting without formal invitation to present their concerns.

They claimed that “they must be among the beneficiaries”, but Dr. Morchido Momade, a consultant at Haiyu Mozambique Mining, insisted that residents of the 12 communities would all be treated the same.

By Aunício da Silva

Source: Jornal Ikweli