The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has sounded alarm over the dangers posed by unchecked illegal mining in mineral-rich parts of Zimbabwe, warning of potential disasters if authorities fail to intervene.
Speaking in an interview, CNRG founding director Farai Maguwu highlighted the situation at Christmas Pass in Mutare, where artisanal miners have begun digging dangerously close to residential areas and key infrastructure.
“Right now, they’ve started digging along Christmas Pass,” Maguwu said. “Beneath the mountain there is Hillcrest College, a residential area, and people who have invested a lot of money in their homes. All of those people are in danger of being swept away by flash floods, should that happen.”
He added that in Penhalonga, rule of law had “completely been suspended,” with politicians taking control of mining activities. “In some places, they are digging under the road, such that the road can even collapse. It’s not many years from now where a bus is moving along a road and suddenly it disappears into underground tunnels,” he warned.
Maguwu also pointed to Kwekwe, where illegal mining beneath urban areas has already led to infrastructure collapse. “In one place, a classroom collapsed because of excessive mining,” he said.
CNRG is urging authorities to urgently rein in illegal mining, warning that continued inaction could lead to loss of life, environmental destruction, and damage to vital infrastructure.
