Tensions between Geita Gold Mine (GGM) and residents of Nyakabale’s lowland have escalated after villagers threatened to block the road leading to the mine in protest over unpaid compensation, prompting the Geita District Commissioner to intervene and call for calm.
The threat came during a heated meeting today where GGM, Tanzania’s largest gold mine and one of Africa’s biggest, told Geita District Commissioner Hashim Komba that it has no plans to compensate more than 135 residents living in the area.
The declaration sparked outrage among villagers who say they will not vacate their land without payment.
Earlier, a special committee formed by Komba to investigate the dispute submitted a report stating that GGM has no documentation proving the residents have already been compensated.
“There are no documents at all showing that the area has been paid for by GGM. We have repeatedly asked them to provide the documents but there is none,” the report presented to the DC stated.
GGML Senior Relations Officer Gilbert Mworia rejected the committee’s recommendations, saying the mine cannot compensate the residents.
“We cannot compensate these residents. They should go wherever they think they can get justice,” he said in a high tone.
Speaking with anger, many residents expressed frustration at what they described as the mine’s attempt to deny them their basic rights.
“These people from GGM have decided to deny us our basic rights, and we will not leave our land without being compensated. They have done many bad things to us and we have remained silent. They released toxic water into the river which killed our cattle, and many of us suffered health problems. And today they are coming to say they will not pay us compensation for our land. We will not accept this,” one villager said.
Shabani L. Shabani said the lowland has been the main source of livelihood for Nyakabale residents for decades.
“This is where we grow crops and keep small livestock to survive. If they forcefully relocate us without paying what is right, we will not accept it at all. We have been silent for a long time because after the mine’s dust started spreading, we no longer have anywhere to farm or graze,” he added.
Asha, a mother of three, said she can no longer sleep at night worrying about where her children will study once they are forcefully evicted from the farms that have been their economic lifeline.
“This has now become oppression against us, the poor and the vulnerable who cannot defend ourselves and have no one to defend us. We are calling the Prime Minister to come and help us, the voiceless, so that we can get our justice,” she said.
The District Commissioner urged residents not to block the mine access road, warning that it would only escalate tensions and create bigger problems.
He asked them to hold off until next Monday when he will convene another meeting to explore possible solutions to the dispute.
Komba emphasized that there are no shortcuts to resolving the matter other than dialogue between all parties.
He agreed with the residents that they are still occupying their land and stressed that the issue requires great wisdom to avoid unnecessary conflict and ensure justice for everyone.
He also said he does not agree with the mine’s position and has given both sides more time to resolve the matter peacefully.
The DC has directed GGML’s Relations Manager to resubmit the report for further review and announced that another meeting will be held next Monday to find a lasting solution.
The residents are now calling on the government to intervene urgently. They argue that while GGM earns substantial profits from gold annually, the surrounding community also deserves to benefit rather than remain poor and marginalized.
For now, Nyakabale lowland remains inhabited, but under a cloud of uncertainty. With each passing day, fear is growing and productive activities have stalled because no one knows what tomorrow will bring.
In the end, the residents say all their hopes now rest with President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Dr. Mwigulu Lameck Nchemba.
They believe that as leaders who listen to and defend the rights of ordinary citizens, they will help ensure justice is restored and that any relocation process is carried out fairly, transparently and humanely.
