A civic leader in Mapatizya area of Kalomo has appealed to the security wings in the district to ascertain two devices suspected to be an ‘Anti Tank land mines’ to prevent any possible loss of human lives if suspected mines become accidentally tampered with by civilians.
Bwiko ward councilor, Miles Sikafwamba disclosed to ZANIS during the on going mobile voter registration exercise that one device was discovered in a small stream near Chibuyu village in chief Simwatachela’s area and children of the same locality are still busy playing around it..
Mr Sikafwamba also said the other device is hidden in the rock with a green wire protruding from it and was also in the vicinity of by passers at mine number 6 posing danger to the community.
The councilor said the local mobile police unit based at Kariba minerals Limited in Mapatizya who accompanied him to the location of the two suspected ‘land mine’ devices have so far taken protective measures by pilling tree branches around the two areas.
He however, expressed concern over the delay by the local security wing and the Action Mine centre to come to the area to identify the two suspected devices despite being informed of the situation.
Mr Sikafwamda feared that if it takes long for the security agencies to act the devices may be washed away by rains to other places and could cause possible destruction since it was towards the onset of the rain season.
The Mapatizya area in the lower Zambezi basin of Kalomo especially in Siampondo has been dogged with land mines which were left by the then Southern Rhodesian guerrilla fighters in the struggle for the now independent Zimbabwe in the 1980s.
The defunct Tonga- Gwembe project in the recent past years only managed to demine some meters away of the ‘ Bottom road which connects the lower districts of the Zambezi basin in Southern province paving way for the construction of Kamukeza basic school which is now a polling station in the rural remote valley of Kalomo district.
[ ZANIS ]
eh? let him try them first this civic leader and we will know after if they are dangerous.. lead by example haha.