Japan pledges support for Zim’s demining

Source: Japan pledges support for Zim’s demining – DailyNews Live

Tawanda Chiwara recently in MUKUMBURA      9 October 2017

HARARE – Japan will continue to support demining activities in the country
towards the goal of achieving a landmine-free Zimbabwe by 2025, its envoy
has said.

Speaking during an occasion to mark the completion for The Project for
Mine Clearance in Mashonaland Central Province on Thursday, Ambassador
Toshiyuki Iwado pledged to push Tokyo to stay supportive of the country’s
demining efforts.

The Asian country together with other supporting partners joined hands
with The Halo Trust (Halo) in a broader national strategy managed by the
Zimbabwe Mine Action Centre to “rid the country of landmines by the end of
2025.”

Some parts of the country are still littered with landmines from the 1970s
war of liberation.

The landmines are acting as a barrier to vital community assets such as
water sources and grazing land.

For over 40 years now, both human and livestock’s lives have not been
spared.

“I wish to congratulate the people of this area because now you can enjoy
an easier life with safer access to vital sources of water and grow crops,
herd livestock, or gather wild fruits and firewood on land that was
previously dangerous”, Iwado said.

The Asian country’s envoy also paid a courtesy call to all the
stakeholders that have made this project take off.

“…we should not forget that the challenges of the people of this area
are shared by the international community. Japan is only one of the
contributors to the work of Halo,” he said.

Halo has been operating in Zimbabwe since 2013. It began the clearance
operations in the Mukumbura area and has since expanded operations into
areas east and west of Mukumbura as well as into Rushinga district.

Speaking at the same occasion, Halo’s programme manager Tom Dibb thanked
Tokyo and its partners for the “continued support in making its efforts
worthwhile.”

“Since the programme started in 2013, 40 000 landmines have been found and
disposed of in the country, ” he said.

He also expressed optimism that with continued support from partners, the
Trust would cleanse the country of the deadly mines by the 2025 target.

Community leaders present including MP for Mount Darwin North Noveti
Muponora and Chief Chiswiti also waxed lyrical of Tokyo’s efforts before
the Japanese envoy was christened with a local name “Tatenda” which means
“thank you”, owing to what the community view as great and commendable
work by Iwado and co.

Tinos Jemedza, a 37-year-old resident of the Chisecha area said the
demining exercise had restored hope for a community that had endured great
suffering.

“For us it seemed like we were still living in a war zone. Zimbabwe is a
peaceful country and it is sad that we were still being haunted by things
done years ago. Imagine not knowing where to place your foot next.

“The difference between life and death here was determined by the next
place you place your foot on. It was hard especially for our children who
still want to wander around and explore, telling them you can’t go there
or there,” the father of four said.

Mashonaland Central provincial affairs minister Martin Dinha also thanked
the Japanese government “for assisting us in many projects here in the
province.”

He said this during a meeting with Iwado at Bindura University of Science
Education where the Japan envoy toured on Friday morning.

Dinha added that: “The Japanese are well-cultured, respectful and that
Zimbabweans have a lot to learn from Japan.”

Plans are already in motion for a twinning arrangement of Mash Central
with Hyogo – a Japanese prefecture in the Kansai region of the country’s
main island, Honshu.

According to Dinha, Mashonaland Central stands to benefit immensely from
the economic zones concept found in Hyogo.