by Caiphas Chimhete
Landmines, a legacy of wars fuelled by South Africa during apartheid and the colonial wars in southern Africa, still disrupt social and economic development, and reconstruction in the region years after restoration of peace.
At the 4th International Non-Governmental Organisations Conference on Landmines: Toward a Mine Free Southern Africa held in Mozambique recently, campaigners called for a total ban on all forms of mines as they hinder regional development.
The conference, which was jointly organised by the Mozambique Campaign to Ban Landmines and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, drew over 450 participants from 60 countries.
“There has been economic and social dislocation of natural development of the region directly attributable to the continued presence of anti-personnel mines, • Martin Rupiya, a military expert at the University of Zimbabwe told the conference.
Landmines set a long chain of direct and indirect effects over decades that often threaten stability and post-war recovery. Most of the mines are planted on strategic infrastructural points such as railway lines, roads, bridges and water sources endangering the lives of the local people.
The landmines have also affected the environment, cross-border and internal trade in southern Africa.
Trade in some parts of Angola, south-eastern Zambia and the border area between Mozambique and
Zimbabwe to and from Tete, Manica and Gaza provinces, has been rendered difficult due to mines planted along these routes.
In Angola and Mozambique, rebel groups deliberately mined strategic areas to disrupt the economy and access to social services. In Angola, says the Human Rights Watch says, Unita used landmines “to deny food production and access to water sources in certain areas, resulting in horrendous civilian suffering.”
Of the two millions people displaced in Angola, about 85 percent of them feared returning to their original places because of landmines.
Secretary General of Trindade — Ninho de Infancia (TRININFA), Benjamim Makunzy Varela of Angola, says it will cost about US$1 billion to reconstruct the mined affected areas of Angola. Meanwhile, this cost could be astronomical for Angola, a country ravaged by civil war for over two decades.
Landmines have damaged significant parts of Mozambique’s economic infrastructure and will continue to disrupt reconstruction until all mines are removed. Railways essential to commerce, power lines for domestic and external energy supplies, and some game reserves, have been rendered unusable by of landmines.
Some mines have been laid on access roads to the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric power line rehabilitation project in Mozambique, threatening the viability of the multi-million dollar project. The cost of reconstructing the power line is currently estimated a US$125 million.
So far. 6 600 km of different roads and 1 800 km of electricity transmission line have been cleared but this has barely made an impact. Farida Gulamo of the Mozambican Association for the Disabled says it would cost US$450 million to clear Mozambique’s mines. At this pace, says Mozambican President, Joaquim Chissano, it will take between 46 to 160 years to achieve a mine-free Mozambique. About 11 000 are being removed each year.
Landmine infestation has also increased the spread of diseases as accessibility to these areas is impossible. Penny MacKenzie of the South African Campaign to Ban Landmines says sleeping sickness and foot and mouth diseases are spreading in mined areas. None can dare go there. In Zimbabwe, the low-lying minefield border with Zambia bas become a haven for tsetse fly and malaria because of landmines.
Wildlife, including elephants and buffalos, have been maimed or killed by landmines. Since 1980, nearly 10 000 cattle were killed by landmines in Zimbabwe, prejudicing the country of about US$20 million. In Mozambique, several thousands of cattle were also lost.
Landmines also have reduced cultivatable area and agricultural output in Angola, it is estimated that 33 percent of the prime land cannot be farmed due to landmines and about one million hectares of land is uncultivated in Zimbabwe. Such problems are also found in Namibia and Malawi along the border with Mozambique.
The SADC region is being urged to step up demining activities to achieve economic development and reconstruction. The final declaration to the Maputo Conference calls upon “governments of mine contaminated countries to develop and implement national mines clearance policies that are transparent and include the needs of all sectors of society.“
Demining activities have been hampered by lack of finance and of fast modem technology and very little has been achieved 10 far. Demining activities are being carried out in all countries of the region with landmines.
The conference appealed to former producers of landmines to help speed up the demining process. South Africa is already involved in demining in Mozambique, however, analysts say it is practising “double dipping•, referring to earlier landmine manufacturers appearing to have the sole capacity and skills to address mine clearance. Generally, mine clearance is a very lucrative business.
Despite the costs, the region has to step up demining activities to reconstruct the infrastructure and achieve economic growth, which brings sustainable political and social stability. (SARDC)
