Zimbabwe eye to explore Chihota

Mahusekwa explored by

De Beers in the late 90s

The ZCDC (Pvt) Limited intends to carry out diamond exploration activities on 450 hectares in Mahusekwa, Chihota Communal Land. The proposed project area was explored by De Beers in the late 90s to early 2000s, but results were never made public.

Exploration will be done using ground penetrating radar to locate areas of potential which will then be studied in detail by drilling and trenching selected points away from homesteads. Thus, no relocations will be done. Bulk samples will then be collected using excavators. These samples will be processed on site using a 10tph mobile DMS plant. All excavation waste material will then be used to backfill all the opened pits.

Some potential positive impacts will include employment creation and community infrastructure development. Potential negative impacts are deforestation, destruction of animal habitats, loss of aesthetic value, noise and dust pollution.

Mitigation measures will include protection of sacred sites and endangered flora and fauna. According to the Environmental Management Act, this development requires that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) be carried out. As such, ZCDC contracted the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC) to conduct an EIA study for this diamond exploration project.