Zimbabwe to declare State of Disaster on rivers

The Government is set to declare a State of Disaster over some of Zimbabwe's major river systems as illegal alluvial mining, deforestation and environmental degradation increasingly threaten water security and agricultural production.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Development Minister Anxious Masuka said the declaration will enable urgent intervention measures to restore damaged rivers and curb further ecological destruction.

He made the announcement during a wheat production engagement with farmers in Glendale, Mazowe, warning that key water sources are under severe pressure.

"The President will declare a State of Disaster on damaged rivers, including Mazowe and Murove rivers. This will allow us to establish teams to rehabilitate the rivers and stop further destruction," Masuka said.

The move would allow authorities to mobilise emergency resources, deploy enforcement teams, and accelerate rehabilitation works such as dredging, reforestation and riverbank stabilisation.

Government is also drafting stricter environmental regulations under the Civil Protection framework to impose harsher penalties on illegal riverbed miners and deforesters. Officials warned that offenders who cannot fund rehabilitation may have their equipment confiscated.

"Alluvial mining involves the extraction of minerals from riverbeds and riverbanks using methods that disturb natural water flows and remove large amounts of soil and vegetation," Masuka said.

He added that communities must assist authorities by reporting illegal mining activities through local Joint Operations Command structures.

"Communities need to report cases of alluvial mining first to the local JOC and up to the national JOC," he said.

The Government says illegal mining and deforestation are accelerating siltation, reducing dam capacity and threatening irrigation-dependent agriculture.

Mazowe Dam, a critical water source for winter wheat production, is currently at just 14.2% capacity. Officials say the dam is affected by structural damage, heavy siltation and upstream environmental degradation.

Despite favourable rainfall in recent years, storage capacity has continued to decline due to sediment buildup.

Authorities have already tightened controls on riverbed mining through Statutory Instrument 188 of 2024, which bans alluvial mining activities in sensitive areas.

The water crisis is also beginning to affect agricultural output targets. Zimbabwe is aiming for 125 000 hectares under wheat production this season, expected to yield about 662 500 tonnes.

However, reduced water availability has forced downward revisions in key provinces, including Mashonaland Central, where the target has been cut from 27 910 hectares last season to 25 000 hectares this year.

In Mazowe District specifically, the wheat target has been reduced from 16 660 hectares to 12 000 hectares due to falling dam levels.

Officials warn that without urgent rehabilitation of river systems and stricter enforcement against illegal mining, Zimbabwe's water security and agricultural productivity could face further strain.