Chronicle Editor
Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Mat South Bureau Chief
Farmers and artisanal small scale miners in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province, are at each other’s throats over land degradation, water pollution, soil pollution and human waste which is affecting livestock.
The district is endowed with a lot of gold reserves which attract people from all corners of the country.
The illegal mining activities have however been detrimental to farmers in the area who have been losing livestock as a result of the operations.
A farmer from Matshetsheni Village Mr Wonder Dube said he recently lost a bull worth US$4 000 after it fell into a pit caused by the illegal miners’ activities. The bull broke its hind leg and it had to be put down.
“We have been complaining about these illegal mining activities for years but nothing has changed. One of my bulls was recently injured after it had fallen into a pit caused by these illegal miners.
I suffered a huge loss which I have still not recovered from,” said Mr Dube.
He said he was left with two options; to either slaughter the crippled animal or sell it for about 25 percent less than healthy animals would fetch.
According to Zimbabwe’s Mines and Minerals Act, miners are supposed to cover any pits they dig. If they do not, they could face a fine and up to a year in prison.
However, the pits are left by artisanal gold miners, who are by definition unregistered, so there is no way to hold them accountable.
Umzingwane MP Cde Levi Mayihlome said most of the land degradation in the district is being caused by artisanal small scale miners.
“We request that mine detectors be licensed and no one should operate a detector without a licence. They should be given geographical areas where they will operate from as it is now the norm everywhere,” said Cde Mayihlome.
While large commercial mines are regulated and have strategies to protect the local environment, small scale miners often operate outside of ecological rules.
According to the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation, the clash between farmers and miners is rooted in the Mines and Minerals Act, which farmers say places greater value on gold prospecting than farming.
A bill to amend the Mines and Minerals Act, which first went into effect in 1961, has been stuck in parliament since 2015.
There are more than 61 proposed amendments, which include reconstitution of the Mining Affairs board and a list of changes that would improve miner and farmer relations such as compensation for farmers when miners encroach on their land.
In the meantime, civil organisations and local authorities have stepped in to engage the two groups. – @Yolisswa
Online Reporter