Source: Landmine fatalities fall – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 21, 2016
HUMAN fatalities caused by landmines and explosive remnants of the liberation war, have been on a sharp decrease in affected areas owing to an extensive demining programme by the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and co-operating partners.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Zimbabwe Mine Action Centre director Colonel Mkhululi Bhika Ncube said since 1980, 1 650 people had been killed by landmines and explosive remnants of war. But he said since the launch of demining exercise, fatalities had decreased with 18 people being injured in 2014, while a total of 35 cattle were blown up by November last year.
Ncube was responding to questions during the handover of demining and protective equipment to Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s head of regional delegation, Thomas Merkelbach.
Ncube said a total of 62 million square metres were still infested by landmines by the end of last year, but more land had since been cleared.
Sekeramayi said the ICRC was a reliable co-operating partner of the Ministry of Defence in many areas including training.
“The assistance package availed by the ICRC with effect from February 2012, includes training of Zimbabwe engineer officers and non-commissioned members in demining leadership techniques, demining and survey skills, quality assurance/quality control, information management systems for mine action, medical trauma, mine risk education and explosive disposal level 1 courses,” he said.
Sekeramayi said his ministry would soon be releasing another squadron into the mine-contaminated zones after ZNA managed to clear 21km on the secondary minefields and another 13km on primary minefields between the Limpopo and Mwenezi rivers and another 4km across Mwenezi River with the assistance of ICRC.
“Our plans of introducing a second demining squadron are at an advanced stage and once all the necessary requirements are in place, the squadron will be deployed,” he said.
Merkelbach said while there was a major tendency of looking at the effects of abandoned landmines on the fatalities or injuries recorded, the ICRC looked also at the ability of communities to use their land and be able to benefit from their natural resources.
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