Zimbabwe bans riverbed, alluvial mining with immediate effect
The government has immediately banned all mining and desiltation activities in riverbeds, citing their lack of tangible benefits to the country and the increasing environmental degradation of rivers, Cabinet announced.
Cabinet stated that pollution, siltation, and degradation were worsening rather than improving.
During a Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, the Minister of Information, Hon. Jenfan Muswere, announced that the commencement of large-scale and mechanical alluvial mining has led to significant destruction of rivers and disruption of riverine ecosystems. As a result, the Cabinet has imposed an immediate ban on riverbed mining.
“Cabinet considered and approved the Report on Alluvial Mining and Rehabilitation of Degraded Rivers, which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Dr. Anxious Masuka, as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Mining and Environment.
Cabinet noted that since its commencement in 2011 across the country’s rural provinces, large-scale and mechanical alluvial mining, or riverbed mining, has resulted in water pollution, siltation, degradation of river channels, and disruption of riverine ecosystems. Cabinet directed that riverbed mining be banned with immediate effect,” Muswere said.
The country is facing severe water shortages exacerbated by illegal gold mining activities around its supply dams. These activities pose a serious threat to water supplies, as illegal miners are even digging in the dried-up dams, which is likely to cause heavy siltation and contamination.
Rivers such as the Nyagadzi in Chendambuya, Mazowe, Munyati, Insiza, Save, Mutare, and Angwa have been severely affected by riverbed mining, leading to similar environmental damage and water resource challenges. The Umzingwane Dam, one of the key water sources for Bulawayo, is currently at just two percent capacity and is unlikely to see significant inflows without extreme weather conditions, such as a cyclone, due to the damage caused by illegal mining.