News / Local
Zimbabwe bans amakorokoza
20 Aug 2024 at 16:50hrs | Views
The Zimbabwean government has immediately banned all riverbed and alluvial mining activities due to the severe environmental damage they cause.
This decision was announced by Information Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere following a Cabinet meeting where a report on the issue was presented by Dr. Anxious Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development.
The report highlighted the negative impacts of these mining practices, including water pollution, siltation, degradation of river channels, and disruption of ecosystems.
In Bulawayo, illegal gold panning around the city's supply dams, especially the decommissioned Umzingwane Dam, has exacerbated water shortages.
These activities have left extensive damage to dam banks and severely threatened the city's water resources, with Umzingwane Dam now at just two percent capacity.
The situation is so dire that the dam may not recover without extreme weather events.
The city's overall dam levels are at 32 percent, with ongoing illegal mining further compromising the integrity of water infrastructure.
Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has warned that these activities, along with other unregulated practices, are preventing rainwater from replenishing the dams, worsening the city's water crisis.
This decision was announced by Information Minister Dr. Jenfan Muswere following a Cabinet meeting where a report on the issue was presented by Dr. Anxious Masuka, Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development.
The report highlighted the negative impacts of these mining practices, including water pollution, siltation, degradation of river channels, and disruption of ecosystems.
In Bulawayo, illegal gold panning around the city's supply dams, especially the decommissioned Umzingwane Dam, has exacerbated water shortages.
These activities have left extensive damage to dam banks and severely threatened the city's water resources, with Umzingwane Dam now at just two percent capacity.
The situation is so dire that the dam may not recover without extreme weather events.
The city's overall dam levels are at 32 percent, with ongoing illegal mining further compromising the integrity of water infrastructure.
Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart has warned that these activities, along with other unregulated practices, are preventing rainwater from replenishing the dams, worsening the city's water crisis.
Source - The Chronicle
