The Barrick Files 3
Statement
by a survivor of the alleged burial in Tanzania, followed by a statement
from a Tanzanian journalist.
In August 1996, with military police firing bullets and tear gas, Kahama mining
company is alleged to have bulldozed over small-scale mine pits in Tanzania. It
is estimated 52 miners could not escape. The company owning the mine was bought
by Barrick Gold in 1999. To
obtain the largest loan guarantee in World Bank history in Africa, Barrick
certified that, following a court order, miners simply 'left' voluntarily and
peacefully. Barrick insists that, from it's own review of the matter, the
eviction was 'Peaceful.'
Here's one account by a survivor:
"I am Hamis Mayunga Mrisho and I'm a resident of Kakola village in Kahama
District, Shinyanga Region, a miner at the mine pits of Bulyanhulu area.
"On August 3, 1996 I heard Radio Tanzania that the High Court of Tanzania
had overturned the government decision to evict the miners from the Bulyanhulu
mines and that the miners should continue with their activities without
harassment.
"On August 7, 1996, I was supervising work in pit #86C at Reef #1 which I
owned with one Nyembe Msobi. I descended into the pit with four other colleagues
namely Ntemi Nyanda, Turo Masanja, Abdu Mussa and Juma Shabani and we started
breaking the rock containing gold ores. At around 9 o'clock from the watch I had
with me, I started noticing a cloud of dust and lots of sand descending into the
pit. Things got difficult but with God's help we started digging our way out
from one opening in our pit.
"This went on very slowly and by August 8, 1996, two of my colleagues
(Ntemi Nyanda and Juma Shabani) were unable to continue digging and they died
right there., thus leaving me together with Turo Masanja and Abdu Mussa. At
around 10 o'clock on the night of August 9, 1996, I managed to get an opening
which had wood poles tied on the sides of the hole and I clambered on the poles
and started ascending. At the same time my other colleagues were following
behind and sand and dust continued to come in from high above. Unfortunately my
two colleagues died after Turo Masanja slipped and tumbled down taking Abdu
Mussa with him.
"I continued to climb up until I managed to get out, only to find that a
bulldozer had levelled the entire area. With much difficulty and with help from
other miners I managed to reach Kakola village.
"On August 16, 1996 police commissioners came to visit the area and asked
us to go and make statements in their camp, which we did, and after we went to
show them the pits where people were buried. They asked us to return the
following day August 17, 1996 in order to begin the exercise to exhume the
bodies which they directed should start at Reef #2. This is what I know from
what I saw."
++++++++++++++++++++++
I am a journalist from Tanzania currently based in Paris, France doing
correspondence with Deutsche Welle Swahili service and People TV of France.
I once worked on the story on Bulyamhulu mines burryings of artisanal miners
while working with Tanzania's The Guardian newspaper and it's all fact. Former
Magu MP John Memose Cheyo even petitioned the government in parliament to form a
probe team but it refused.
-- Finnigan wa Simbeye
Exporting Corporate Control: Greg Balast vs. Barrick Gold Corp.