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Case Study: Africa
Ghana
Opencast mining can be hazardous to people living in the vicinity and since the
minerals can’t be moved before extraction, the people must be resettled.
T
his is exactly what happened in rural Ghana when the
Endeavour Mining Company sought to extract the gold
ore located at Nzema. Given the geology of the region,
the most efficient means of extraction was deemed
to be open-cast mining, which would be hazardous to
those living in the nearby Salman village.
Negotiations for resettlement were integral to mining
approval and were conducted over a two-year period,
beginning in 2008 and culminating in the signing of the
Resettlement Agreement in May 2010 and a subsequent
Memorandum of Understanding in October 2010.
These documents, in addition to the Resettlement
Action Plan, became the blueprint for the resettlement
of the new Salman township, which involved resettling 2
200 people at a new 250-acre site a kilometre from the
mine.
Endeavour elected to use Hydraform brick technology
because the building blocks are cooler and stronger
than more commonly used cement blocks. In addition,
as the purchase price of the blockmaking equipment
includes training, locals were instructed in the process
of brickmaking as well as in maintenance of the
blockmaking equipment, thereby helping to create
a sustainable local industry. Naturally, the equipment
was donated to the community after the construction
project was completed.
a community
Resettling