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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has allayed fears that a gold milling plant near Maphisa in Matabeleland South discharged effluent containing cyanide into a local water supply dam.

Panic had gripped the growth point after waste from Antelope 12 Milling Centre spilled into Antelope Dam last Friday.

EMA officials took samples of the spillage for laboratory testing to ascertain if there were dangerous chemicals in it. Initial findings are that the discharge was not poisonous.

Mr Zibusiso Sibanda, a resident of Maphisa, said they got worried when they learnt that cyanide had spilled from the gold miller. “Last Friday there was a serious spillage from the mine and due to its proximity to the dam, the spilling chemicals are thought to have seeped into the dam. The dam supplies Maphisa growth point, hospitals, Government departments and the general residents. So you can imagine all these people were fearing for their lives. Even the community’s livestock is in danger as this is also a grazing area,” said Mr Sibanda.

He said so far, no sickness connected to the cyanide spillage has been reported.

A worker at Antelope 12, Mr Brilliant Mpofu, said although the community was panicking over the spillage, there were no dangerous chemicals.

“Of course people are circulating rumours that what spilled from our plant is cyanide. But I want to assure them that it was not cyanide but clear water that we use in the milling stamp. It was water that I can even drink as it contains no chemical at all. Our site dam burst resulting in the spill causing the panic,” he said.

Mr Mpofu said following the speculations that they spilled cyanide into the dam, EMA and Matobo Rural District Council investigated the matter.

He said EMA ordered the company to dig a trench to control any water or chemical in case of future incidents.

When The Chronicle arrived at the milling centre, the company was already complying with the order.

The company had constructed a buffer near the dam to prevent the spilling effluent from going into the dam.

EMA’s Matabeleland South manager Mrs Sithembisiwe Ndlovu said initial investigations concluded that there was no chemical that spilled and seeped into the dam.

Mrs Ndlovu said the public should not panic as they were convinced that there were no dangerous chemicals that were discharged.

“According to our investigations there is no chemical that spilled from the mine. Our team went on the ground and discovered that it was milling effluent consisting mainly of water. We also took samples for tests but the results are not yet out,” said Mrs Ndlovu.

She said it was illegal for any mine operations to discharge waste into areas outside its compound.

@nqotshili