illegal gold miners poses a great danger to environment

 Illegal gold miners in Zvishavane poses a great hazardous to the environment and human lives through their mining activities which has led to land degradation and dilapidation of roads.

 Illegal gold miners/ “Makorokoza” have brought more harm than good both to people and the environment through their illegal and unskilled mining activities in Zvishavane, particularly in Novelvale. This has really affected the environmental health through that there is land degradation, noise , water and air pollution.

 According to Talent Mapuya (35), a small scaled farmer in Manjere, “illegal gold miners knowingly caused land degradation in my garden near the river following their belt in search of gold”. “I was forced to relocate my garden elsewhere to avoid engaging in a fight with them, but this really affected my production as a small-scale farmer because l had to replant vegetables, tomatoes and onions. I am pleading with the police in Zvishavane to action on how to ban illegal mining activities”, he said. 

Zvishavane town council chairman councilor Khulekhani Ndlovu further warned of the damage being done to the environment and urged government to take legal action and deploy law enforcers such as police or soldiers in the areas facilitating the practice of illegal gold mining. 

In an interview with, Tanaka Simango a resident in Novelvale state that, “we are now leaving in fear of losing our lives through that, our infrastructure are at risk of collapsing which is also a big threat to our lives. Illegal gold panners are digging tunnels underneath our infrastructure in search of gold which can lead to future damage if the law enforcers fail to take action, he said.

 These illegal gold miners have led to the dilapidating of roads as a result of underground tunnels. Last year in September Midlands State University MSU staff member (bus driver), aka Malume also confirmed about the incident which took place 2 to 3 meters after the MSU entrance gate on the way to novelvale where the MSU bus was involved in a road collapse. The bus was going to Novelvale and all of a sudden, the road collapsed but no one was injured. 

George Sibanda (27), who is a worker at the J & J Construction company further noted that, after two weeks of furnishing constructing a tared road from Kandodo to Novelvale, the road suddenly delipidated due to illegal gold miners who were digging a underground tunnel following their belt.

 In an interview with, Simbarashe Kondi (35) who is one illegal miners in Novelvale illustrated that, “we are doing illegal mining activities / “kugweja” for the purpose of survival, we all know there is scarcity of job opportunities in Zimbabwe”. I am involved in illegal mining because l want to provide food for my family, he said.

 Therefore, illegal gold panners have threatened the peace of such community in Zvishavane particularly in Manjere and Novelvale, whereby they destroyed the beauty of flora and fauna causing land degradation, soil erosion and also developing a habit of robbing residents their valuables. There are cases of both MSU students and local residents who lost their valuables from these illegal gold panners “makorokoza”. 

This is not the first time were illegal gold miners poses a great danger to both people and the environment. There are such cases which include a school in Kwekwe was shut down due to environmental degradation which occurred in the class. T his was caused by illegal gold miners who were knowingly digging underground in search of gold.