Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Nkayi has urged the public to venture into the mining industry through the proper right channels after three suspects were arrested for selling liquor illegally to gold panners at a local farm.

In a statement, ZRP was adamant in urging the public to practice mining legally for it is an offence to the state.

“Members of the public are advised to follow legal procedures to venture into the mining industry.”

Police further added that about a hundred illegal gold miners have since vanished from the area.

A study by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has revealed that illegal mining has damaged a total of over eleven hectares of land while degrading over one thousand kilometres of riverbank ecosystems in the country.

The illegal miners’ activities are causing rampant degradation to the environment and have become a threat to socio-economic development.

EMA also encouraged people to take a stand in curbing environmental crimes as the land is jeopardized in the process.

Speaking to Reuters, Zimbabwean’s Miners Federation (ZMF) Spokesperson Dousman Mangisi said, “There is nothing that can be done to lessen gold rushes in Zimbabwe, all we can do is to mobilize and register illegal miners so that they can mine legally.”

In the book ‘A call to halt destructive Illegal mining in Zimbabwe-2017’, Dalu and Wasserman say the problem of illegal gold mining is fast spreading through the Eastern Highlands and other parts of the country, as hundreds of artisanal gold miners swarm to the area, tearing up natural forests and plantations.