Koidu Holdings: Kimberlite blast shakes Kono
As both the APC and people of Kono are gearing up for the development of Kono, there are equally environmental and health hazards hovering over the people of Kono resulting from the activities of Koidu Holdings.
One of the looming dangers that now poses a life threat to the people of Kono was experienced by this reporter whilst on a family visit to Koidu Town on 31st August 2010. As usual, Koidu Holdings South Africa (KHSA) in their vigorous mining activity to blast rocks to extract diamonds have been causing a lot of danger ranging from environmental hazards such as infertility to the topmost soil, air pollution and worst of it all the loud blasts that have the potential to terminate a month old pregnancy or even destroy the hearing of a human.
The blast on 31 August by Koidu Holdings sent a shocking and thundering sound into the spines of the residents of Kono. This peculiar blast sound which left many Kono people in consternation has been described by many residents in the township as the first of its kind since the inception of Koidu Holdings mining activity in the district. The resounding blast sound in the ears of Kono residents can be compared to the bomb shelling of “Olu Lungi” during the 1999 January 6th rebel invasion of Freetown.
According to some concerned Kono indigenes who expressed their fear to Sierra Express Media, “if such enormous sound waves of Koidu Holdings blasting continue as the previous one, our lives are not only in danger but the ultimate fear is for our weak houses which have were burnt by rebels will collapse.” In the midst of this fear being expressed by the town’s people, one redundant Koidu Holdings mining engineer, Sahr Gborie confided in this reporter that the normal blasting exercise is being done within 250 meters blast envelope. He further explained that the heavy sound heard on that day between the hours of 7 to 8 pm was being done in close range and that might have been the cause for the thunderous sound to have impacted on the entire Koidu town. People staying as far as Farandu felt the trembling sound wave beneath the earth like an earthquake was about to be erupted.
In this same vein, residents of Tankoro who have their houses very close the KHSA blast site have intimated to this reporter that even the resettlement project promised them has not been forthcoming. And even those that have benefited from the recent resettling projects are still complaining of inadequate housing facilities as compared their former houses. Some of the beneficiaries of the Koidu Holdings resettlement have lost the original comfort of their houses in terms of architecture and insufficient water supply. Emmanuel Sahr Tommy, an affected property owner in Tankoro told SEM that “even though the company contributes revenue into the pockets of chiefs and the Government; as ordinary citizens of Kono we have suffered the brunt of Koidu Holdings activity the most, and we don’t deserve such nefarious treatment from the Government, they owe allegiance for providing security for them” he ended.
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Mattiah Senessie
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I want to thank you MADIUE JALLOH – SEM CONTRIBUTOR for highlighting the unnecessary punishment inflicted on the residents of Tankoro in Koidu Town, Kono by the insensitive Koidu Holdings South Africa (KHSA)diamond mining company. I had learnt that the thunderous blast of August 28 was just one of a continuous series of shellings that the citizens of that community have been painfully subjected to. I wonder whether the company had done any priminary risk assessments that would affect the lives and health of people in that area which includes thousands of school children and elderly people. I very well know the Kimberlite area (Monkey Hill) between a 90 degree angle bordered by Bankundu Road and Segbema Road, where we have several large family houses and very populated primary schools and churches. Those continuous dangerous blasts in that area by the Koidu Holdings are having a serious impact on the lives and economy of the people. The health, environmental and social hazards are numeous to be quiet about. Doesn’t KHSA know of the impacts from the shocking blasts on the people, or are they just concerned about digging and blasting the rocks and flodding the area just to enrich themselves from the gems. Shouldn’t the Kimberlite company consider deadly effects like the heart trembling vibrations, the dust and fumes, the shelling, echoeing noise from the blasts? How about the huge and sharp rocks pelted from the heavy blasts from the hill down to the residential areas just meters away. Did they consider the fears of the people living in a deadly situation like that? Residents are not able to sleep or do their normal businesses in peace, teachers and schol children are not able to learn as the atmosphere has no serinity in the midst of all the continuous blasts. If the authorities support the companies and urge the residents to move, where would they go to and how will they survive? After all, doesn’t the land belong to the residents and haven’t they they right to live on their land and do their business? I learnt that the company talked about compensating and relocating the people but how much of that has been done? And the people continue to suffer unnecessary punishments inflicted on them by a foreign money mongering company. Is n’t that another BLOOD DIAMONDS pursuit ans scenario by the same South Africa diamond companies? I have often wondered whether there is any national and local legislation that would protect the rights of the citizens in a case like that. Or are there not the Kono MP’s and PC’s to do their jobs for the people who trusted them their positions? Sometimes when I consider the situation in Kono I tend to ask myself the question, Are we the Konos cursed, or are we just too docile to allow all the nonsenses from anybody from anywhere? What has Kono got to boast about despite the big name that Kono soil is filled with gems that are now germs in the blood and flesh of the people. Where are the good roads and bridges to the district, to the cities and to the rural areas? where are the health institutions, the schools the media stations? Where are the markets? where are the environmental facilities, the water supply systems, the electricity, the waste management systems. I will not ask any questions about the conditions of service offices and their infrastructures.
10th September 2010Maybe if the kono people were given their land to farm and mine they would learn to improve their chiefdoms and district. I hear mining is controlled by governmet but government should be controlled by the love and desire to impove the standard of living of the people – their lives and land must be priority not foreign districts and countries to steal and grab the people’s wealth. There is more to observe but I will rest my case here. Please Maddiue let other citizens of Kono know about this. Thanks again. Mattiah Senessie