Illegal mining devastates Bubi district’s environment

Yolanda Mlilo, Sunday News Reporter 

AUTHORITIES in Bubi District, Matabeleland North Province have raised alarm over the significant environmental damage caused by illegal mining activities in the area. 

Reports indicate that groups of invaders are operating in organised clusters, each establishing multiple pits that can scar the landscape, leaving areas as large as a football pitch riddled with deep holes. 

This rampant mining not only disrupts the land but also leads to a troubling loss of vegetation cover. 

In their efforts to clear sites, these illegal miners often resort to fire, which decimates grasslands and can cause large trees to topple as their roots are exposed and undermined. 

The situation poses a serious threat to local ecosystems and highlights the urgent need for intervention to protect the environment.

In an interview with Sunday News, Matabeleland North Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Environmental Education and Publicity Officer, Ms Mildred Matunga revealed that in Bubi District alluvial mining is the major type of mining done illegally.

“Invaders usually are in groups and each of the groups has its own pit and this can leave an area as big as a football pitch with a lot of pits,” she said.

“The invasion leads to the destruction of vegetation cover, as invaders employ fire to clear the land, destroying grass and other plant life. Furthermore, their digging activities can compromise the stability of larger trees, causing them to topple as their roots are undermined by the pits and trenches created by the invader.”

She further revealed that the use, by the invaders, of mercury in the processing of the gold could also pose a danger both to the environment and the individuals using it.

“The processing of gold ore involves the use of mercury, a dangerous metal which if ingested or if it enters the body through the skin has devastating effects, although the intention is 100 percent recovery of the mercury used chances are there to lose some as there is no measuring mechanism to ensure 100 percent recovery. 

“In Bubi District, previous water sampling efforts have not detected any pollutants. This could be because in Bubi miners are in the habit of collecting sand and taking it to their homesteads or squatter sites for processing, they do not process their ore in the river, they go around with their own water tanks or drums,” said Ms Matunga.

She revealed that EMA has collaborated with other law enforcement agencies, including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Rural District Council (RDC) to conduct joint law enforcement operations and patrols.

She said their emphasis was on sustainable mining practices and the need to regularise through the engagement of some of the illegal players.

“Illegal mining is a cross-cutting issue and hence there is a need for a multi-stakeholder approach in finding long-lasting solutions to the challenge in question.

“There is also a need to capacitate the communities to form groups that can do awareness creation, monitoring of illegal sustainable mining in their respective localities as a way of wading away external invaders,” she said.

Bubi RDC chief executive officer, Dr Patson Mlilo said because the district was endowed with a lot of gold, there was a lot of digging of gold everywhere, leading to the destruction of rivers and their banks.

He revealed that in some cases, roads are dug, public infrastructure like hospitals and schools destroyed by those digging for gold. 

“These people do not worry about the environment as they do not put any measure to rehabilitate it after their excavation. It’s bad for the environment.

 “In some cases, open cast mining using excavators is done and big pits remain permanent features of the environment of illegal activities and law enforcement,” he said.