I though I would share some of the news articles from the demonstration that I mentioned in my last post. Luckily, our Peace Corps friends who have already finished their service have been keeping us in the official loop.
Mozambique families protest against Brazil's Vale
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Families resettled by Brazilian mining giant Vale in the Tete region of Mozambique protested on Tuesday that the company had failed to keep promises it made to them in 2009.
About 700 families, resettled approximately 60 kilometres away from the Moatize coal mining site, demonstrated against the lack of access to water, electricity and agricultural land at their resettlement Cateme area.
"Many promises made by Vale before they resettled us here have not been accomplished since 2009," said community leader Eduardo Zinocassaka.
Vale refused to comment, saying it had an agreement with the local government, which would release an official comment on Wednesday morning.
The families were resettled between November 2009 and December 2010.
"Last December we sent a document-complaint to the government of Moatize District requesting their official intervention to solve the problems faced by the communities, and as we saw the government's incapacity, we decided to demonstrate," Zinocassaka told Reuters by phone.
About 700 families, resettled approximately 60 kilometres away from the Moatize coal mining site, demonstrated against the lack of access to water, electricity and agricultural land at their resettlement Cateme area.
"Many promises made by Vale before they resettled us here have not been accomplished since 2009," said community leader Eduardo Zinocassaka.
Vale refused to comment, saying it had an agreement with the local government, which would release an official comment on Wednesday morning.
The families were resettled between November 2009 and December 2010.
"Last December we sent a document-complaint to the government of Moatize District requesting their official intervention to solve the problems faced by the communities, and as we saw the government's incapacity, we decided to demonstrate," Zinocassaka told Reuters by phone.
© Thomson Reuters 2012 All rights reserved
Mozambique: Vale Promises to Solve Resettlement Problems
19 January 2012
Maputo — The Brazilian mining company Vale has promised to solve within six months all the problems faced by households resettled from the area where Vale is now mining coal in Moatize district, in the western province of Tete.
717 households were resettled at Cateme, about 35 kilometres from Moatize town. Many of these families protest that the houses they were given are shoddily built. Cracks have appeared in the walls and the roofs are leaking.
On 10 January this problem hit the headlines when about 500 Cateme residents blocked the Sena railway line, from Moatize to the port of Beira, thus interrupting the movement of Vale coal trains. The protestors were eventually dispersed by the riot police and 14 alleged ringleaders were arrested.
In addition to the problems with the houses, Cateme residents cited in Thursday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais" say that Vale promised each household two hectares of land for farming, but actually only allotted one hectare each, and in an area that is not suitable for agriculture.
They say they are facing hunger, have no jobs, and have no means of transport. They claim Vale promised them priority in the allocation of jobs, but the only jobs some of them managed to obtain were temporary. They also accuse the government of doing nothing to relieve their suffering.
Adriano Ramos, director for sustainability of Vale-Mozambique, admitted to the paper that the complaints are justified, and promised that everything can be set right within six months.
"I think there was a lack of dialogue between the population, Vale and the government", he said. "There should be a permanent dialogue, because we want to see the development of all concerned, and particularly of Mozambique. We have to recognise that processes are dynamic. What was good two years ago may not be good today".
The costs of resettlement were estimated at 120 million US dollars, of which Vale has so far spent 100 million.
717 households were resettled at Cateme, about 35 kilometres from Moatize town. Many of these families protest that the houses they were given are shoddily built. Cracks have appeared in the walls and the roofs are leaking.
On 10 January this problem hit the headlines when about 500 Cateme residents blocked the Sena railway line, from Moatize to the port of Beira, thus interrupting the movement of Vale coal trains. The protestors were eventually dispersed by the riot police and 14 alleged ringleaders were arrested.
In addition to the problems with the houses, Cateme residents cited in Thursday's issue of the independent daily "O Pais" say that Vale promised each household two hectares of land for farming, but actually only allotted one hectare each, and in an area that is not suitable for agriculture.
They say they are facing hunger, have no jobs, and have no means of transport. They claim Vale promised them priority in the allocation of jobs, but the only jobs some of them managed to obtain were temporary. They also accuse the government of doing nothing to relieve their suffering.
Adriano Ramos, director for sustainability of Vale-Mozambique, admitted to the paper that the complaints are justified, and promised that everything can be set right within six months.
"I think there was a lack of dialogue between the population, Vale and the government", he said. "There should be a permanent dialogue, because we want to see the development of all concerned, and particularly of Mozambique. We have to recognise that processes are dynamic. What was good two years ago may not be good today".
The costs of resettlement were estimated at 120 million US dollars, of which Vale has so far spent 100 million.
(from AllAfrica.com)
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