President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is under growing pressure after revelations that a US$1 billion cement and mining project in Magunje was approved without following proper legal and environmental procedures The scandal has triggered outrage from traditional leaders, villagers, and civil society, who accuse the government of trampling on citizens’ rights in pursuit of investment The backlash comes after Tafadzwa Muguti, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet responsible for devolution, publicly rebuked the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) for issuing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate to a cement company — despite the fact that it does not have verified legal claim to the land “EMA, I don’t know what kind of kickback you received, but it is highly improper to grant an EIA to someone who has no legitimate claim to the land,” Muguti said during a heated engagement in Mashonaland West
“That EIA should never have been issued.”
Local chiefs and community leaders have slammed the project as an unlawful intrusion on communal land, approved without consultation or consent “This dam is used by villagers, the army and Magunje residents No investor should be allowed to poison it because of shortcuts,” Muguti warned “Even the President pays taxes to his local authority
Why should an anonymous investor operate tax-free and outside Government control?”
He also revealed that Labenmon Investments had not obtained licensing from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA), nor had it engaged the local Rural District Council Even more alarming, the investor’s physical address remains unknown In what appears to be a desperate attempt to contain the fallout, Muguti said the decision on whether the project proceeds would now rest with the provincial leadership — but only if the project complies with all legal frameworks “I told Minister Chombo and the provincial chairperson, if the province wants the project, it must be done properly
Let’s reach consensus But if there is crime involved, we arrest, because that’s what the Office of the President and Cabinet does under its mandate,” he said.“Development is our national agenda, but it must be lawful and transparent.”
Source: Zimeye
