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Deminers
tell their story
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11 February 1998:
Hello, I have just come back from Dombe, Moha, Nhamatema and Chimoio.
Eric Mlambo and I are answering the questions this time again, which
may be the last time he is available before going to Somalia.
Hi my name is Leinz Vales from New
York City.
I'm 15 years of age and in my second year of High School.
Who funds all the work you do with demining?
ERIC: Demining projects are funded
by International donors such as GTZ and UNICEF. A road construction
company can contract a demining company to demine the old roads that
were abandoned during the war, in which case the construction company
should pay.
MICHAEL: There are generally two
categories of contracts, humanitarian and commercial. Humanitarian
demining contracts are usually the villages, schools, boreholes, etc.,
while the commercials are road reconstruction, bridge reconstruction,
etc. Even in the latter case, the money is often donor-given (World
Bank, etc.) and just comes through the contractor who will sub-contract
us (Mine-Tech) or whoever they select on their criterion.
Do you have any ties with other organisations
besides ones who deals with demining?
 ERIC:
We also have ties with organisations like Care International. We clear
their borehole sites before they sink the boreholes.
MICHAEL: Not sure exactly what
the question is asking. Mine-Tech is a commercial demining company,
registered in Zimbabwe to do mine clearance, EOD and specialist security.
Almost all of our work is in mine clearance. GTZ is the German Agency
for Technical development. They work all over the world in all areas
of development, from agriculture to small scale enterprises. The IHD
team is a mixture of the two of us, and we deal with mine-related
activities, that is, mine clearance and Community Mine Awareness.
What are the major sites with landmines?
ERIC: This varies from place to
place. In Mozambique, major sites with landmines are on the old roads
(if the area was Renamo-controlled during the civil war) and around
protected villages (if the area was Frelimo-controlled). Bridges were
also mined by Frelimo to deny destruction by Renamo forces.
MICHAEL: The major sites in the
world are Mozambique, Angola, Egypt, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Cambodia.
Within those countries, the mined sites will depend on the war situation,
but they will all be similar to those mentioned above. Mines are laid
to deny areas to the enemy or to channel him into specific areas.
Thus they will be laid in protective belts along defensive positions,
in rings around villages or other installations, around bridge sites
to assist the garrison, on roads to prevent movement or in likely
spots were the enemy (including enemy populations) will go (e.g. under
fruit trees).
Michael Laban/Eric Mlambo
Mine-Tech/IHD Team
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