Aftermath of Cyanide Spillage Hunger, Disease Threat Looms

Despite claims by the management of Goldfields Ghana Limited that the October 16 cyanide leakage at the Takwa Gold mine posed no threat to lives and property, Chronicle can report of a looming hunger and disease in the affected communities of Abekuase and Huninso.

The residents of these affected communities as gathered by this paper are bracing for a possible showdown with management of Goldfields Ghana Limited as their livelihood keeps worsening with the ticking of the clock.


Chronicle learnt from the residents that the river Asuman, which used to be their only source of water, either for drinking or other commercial and social uses has now been poisoned with cyanide.


Management of Goldfields however say cyanide poses no threst and that the water was safe for drinking.


Abusuapanyin Wilson, family head of Huninso, told Chronicle that the water from the river can still not be drank in spite of recent assurance that it's safe for drinking.


He stressed that as of now, the numerous fishes that died as a result of the spillage were sufficient evidence that the river is poisoned beyond human use.

Goldfields estimated the dead fishes at 50, even though residents claim almost all fishes were feared dead.


He feared that activities of the mine has had negative effects on the community as he claimed that since 1996, when surface mining started cyanide solution from the mine flow into the river, which in turn overflows and destroys the seedlings of farms.


The farms are located within a radius of almost 100 metres from the river bank


"Now the water is poisoned, we can't get fish and crops to live on. There is no work here, so we'll virtually die of hunger", he said in the Akan local language looking angry and obviously frustrated.


Rashes as gathered is now the dominant disease in the affected communities as they alleged, contact with the river after the spillage gave them itches on the body and eye.

56-year old Chief linguist of Huninso, Kwadwo Stephen, who showed this reporter some rashes on his buttocks and tighs alleged that he got infected after contact with the water in the after match of the October 16 spillage.


According to him after October 16, as was his usual practice, he swam the water to the other bank where he distills palm wine and local gin.


"Later in the day my body and eyes started to itch and I discovered that I had rashes on part of my body", he said.


In fact with or without cyanide solution contaminating the river, there were high indications that it was not safe to drink.


It had a green dirty colour reminiscent to some gutters in Accra, notable among them include the Alajo gutter that overflows and threaten lives during heavy downpour.

Along the river bank were bushes filled with dirt and all sort of waste materials while the road that leads to the village and the river bank was rugged and rough.


In fact the vehicle carrying the press corps could not traverse the rough road, and the press corps compelled to alight and foot to the location.


Looking at the environment and the dirty nature of the river, one could hardly tell if indeed the persons infected with rashes, as shown to the press corps were infected by cyanide solution or by other pollutants.


Already, the financial cost of the spillage runs into 100 of millions, as the cost of the Gold the about 200 kg of cyanide that spilled could have produced was estimated at $4,500 by management of the troubled Gold mining company.


The company is also investing ? 85 million in the installation of three boreholes for the affected towns.

The borehole for Aboakese is expected to be completed next week, said management of Goldfields while the other two for Huninso and Pepesa will be completed in two weeks time, since according to management, access road to those communities was bad and would need rehabilitation.


Currently, the company spends ?1.5 million daily supplying the affected communities with water