Fury as chiefs left out of river rescue plans

Chief Mutasa has criticised government authorities for allegedly excluding traditional leaders from key committees overseeing the rehabilitation of 17 major rivers declared a state of disaster by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, raising tensions over the governance of environmental restoration efforts in mining-affected areas.

The concerns come after government formally declared 17 river systems a state of disaster through Statutory Instruments 91 and 92 of 2026, triggering sweeping measures aimed at restoring heavily degraded river ecosystems across Zimbabwe.

The declaration empowers authorities to suspend mining and agricultural activities along affected rivers, including the Mazowe, Save, Umzingwane and Mutare river systems, many of which have suffered extensive damage from illegal alluvial mining, siltation and pollution.

The new framework also obliges mining companies responsible for environmental degradation to finance rehabilitation efforts, while the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and law enforcement agencies have been granted powers to shut down illegal operations and seize equipment.

However, speaking at the Betterbrands Tradition Bira ceremony held at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga, Manicaland, Chief Mutasa said traditional leaders had been sidelined despite being custodians of the affected river systems.

Chief Mutasa said traditional authorities were not included in the composition of committees tasked with overseeing river rehabilitation, a move he described as a serious oversight.

"I applaud President Emmerson Mnangagwa for such initiatives on the declaration of rivers a state of disaster," he said.

"But the problem starts when we are told that there are committees set up to look into all these rivers, but as traditional leaders, we are the custodians of these rivers.

"The composition itself has no traditional leaders; they have overlooked our role. Maybe we are considered uneducated and there were no proper consultations. We have all the resolutions, and we have the history of these rivers."

Chief Mutasa, who is custodian of the Mutare and Nyamukwarara rivers, said exclusion of traditional leaders undermines local knowledge systems that are critical to environmental management and enforcement at community level.

He also questioned coordination between government ministries, arguing that decisions affecting mining areas are sometimes implemented without consultation with local leadership structures.

"Just imagine the Ministry of Mines and the Ministry of Environment coming here without my knowledge and people do not learn," he said.

The chief was speaking at a ceremony aimed at promoting safety and reducing fatalities in mining areas, where he noted that community-led interventions had helped reduce mining-related deaths.

He commended Betterbrands Mining Company for improving safety conditions at Redwing Mine, saying fatalities had significantly declined due to improved safety systems and awareness initiatives.

"We used to have deaths every week and mining incidents, but we realised that we have not been doing something, and that is when we resurrected these biras," he said.

"Deaths and mining incidents have been reduced to just two percent; this is a combination of safety measures being implemented by Betterbrands Mining Company."

Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Misheck Mugadza urged artisanal miners to invest earnings responsibly and prioritise safety in mining operations.

He warned that the government would support mining activities only where operations are orderly and compliant with safety standards, adding that disorderly conduct could result in closures.

Mining at Redwing and surrounding areas has in recent years been associated with tunnel collapses, flooding, gas incidents and unsafe artisanal operations, prompting periodic interventions by authorities including the Environmental Management Agency.

Despite repeated enforcement efforts, mining activity has often resumed, with civil society groups continuing to raise concerns over unreported fatalities and unsafe working conditions in the sector.

The latest dispute over river rehabilitation committees underscores ongoing tensions between central government structures and traditional leadership over natural resource governance in affected communities.