“Makorokoza In The Mud”: Government Reinstates Ban On Alluvial And Riverbed Mining

The Government has reinstated its ban on alluvial and riverbed mining to redress the ongoing issue of environmental degradation.

Although the ban was initially imposed in 2020, the damaging practices have persisted, prompting further action.

Government Renews Ban On Alluvial Mining

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, announced that the Government has now ordered an immediate and strict enforcement of the ban:

“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, ever 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.”

Dr Masuka reiterated that law enforcement agencies will enforce the ban:

“Although we have the legal underpinning to ensure that mining can take place in a legalised environment, including alluvial mining, there is a class of illegal miners that go onto a river and begin to mine, whether as artisanal or mechanical miners. We want to ban alluvial mining and in banning it means we have to resource the ministries, the departments, and agencies that are mandated with ensuring enforcement of laws.”

The Recurring Problem

Following the initial ban on alluvial and riverbed mining in 2020, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) noted that people practice this kind of mining because of the economic challenges in Zimbabwe over the past two decades. These worsened because of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly affecting the informal sector. The mining sector is a viable source of livelihood.

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Alluvial mining raises the risk of potential chemical pollution of aquatic ecosystems if the processing is not handled responsibly.

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