The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), a mining watchdog, blamed Zimbabwe’s environmental management agency for failing to protect lives by properly decommissioning disused mines. The NGO said the mine should have been sealed to avoid tragedies of this nature.
South Africa said it declined the request for $1.2 billion because the country is also in a difficult financial position. “South Africa doesn’t have that kind of money,” said Jabulani Sikhakhane, spokesman for the finance ministry. He also raised concerns of Zimbabwe defaulting on the loan.
The ceremony was slated for Sunday, August 5, at the National Sports Stadium in Harare despite clashes between opposition protestors and soldiers that broke out shortly after polls closed. Some six people died in the melee, many others were beaten and a number sought refuge in neighboring Zambia.
On Monday, 22 members of Chamisa’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) appeared in court facing charges of inciting violence and causing malicious damage to the ruling ZANU-PF party offices. They must return for bail hearings because it was no little time for the judge to hear their cases.