TANZANIA’S Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG) has dismissed allegations of human rights violations and abuse at the North Mara Gold Mine.

The charges against the Barrick Gold mine were raised by Mining Watch Canada, a non-governmental organisation.

Few of those aware of the track record of European Union and North American NGOs will have been surprised, as most NGOs are environment militants wishing to hear little even just about plans to expand a mine.

The commission’s chairman said in a recent statement that the North Mara mine was in full compliance with legal procedures when it acquired 652 acres of land in Komarera for the expansion of its operations.

The commission expounded on investigations it conducted on the matter this April and May, concluding that no harm occurred in the firm’s expansion into Komarera and Kewanja villages in Tarime District, Mara Region.

While those aware of how mining firms conduct their activities could already have guessed this to be the case, it is always more helpful when a competent panel also declares as much.

The panel had to go into details to show that the valuation and acquisition of the land were carried out transparently and with the involvement of all parties concerned, where those whose land was taken were duly compensated.

In that sense, the relocation of the villagers from the zone of mining expansion was valid in procedure, involving no compulsion.

Still, some militants wish that ‘indigenous people’ may never accept to move so that global capitalist firms expand exploitative extraction activities, etc., in which case the Canadian activist group alerted the world that this was indeed the case!

It is possible that CHRAGG would not need to actually investigate allegations of that sort until it had conclusively established that there was something that needed to be investigated.

This could relate to, say, the extent of land acquired and what was compensated for, the kind and level of involvement by village officials and the villagers themselves, and the methods of payment.

There also would have to be impeccable evidence that there was no cheating or other foul play by any party to the issue.

Claims by Mining Watch Canada that the North Mara mining firm was using force, threats, abuse and humiliation in expanding its activities were discounted not just by the commission but also more focused NGOs operating on the ground, rather than in Toronto.

One such Mining Watch critic has been coordinating Mara Region activities for the Tanzania Community Union – in Tanzania – since 2008.

The thrust has been on improving food security among children and families, providing nutritious school meals and bolstering agricultural growth.

The coordinator said that international activists face challenges with their reports when they do not visit actual sites or locations to meet actual stakeholders.

He said that they instead obtain information from agents or representatives, which can be inaccurate as some activists and politicians provide misleading information for their own benefit.

What they say is intended to boost funding for human rights activities, a broad term that includes anything one may wish – from, say, defending journalists to opposing mine expansion.

In that case, what is reported does not always reflect the true situation but they have clout and therefore it takes time to sort out the facts.