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Runesu Gwidi in Masvingo Rural
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has launched a blitz to flush out illegal gold miners in Masvingo rural where they are causing environmental degradation, it has emerged. The agency’s environmental inspectors descended on artisanal miners at Manyama area resulting in cat and mouse battles.

It is reported that the proliferation of illegal gold panners has resulted in open pits which are dangerous to both humans and livestock.

Said EMA’s acting provincial manager for Masvingo, Mr Somandla Ndlovu: “It is illegal for gold miners to simply obtain mining certificates and undertake the mining process without EIA certificates.

“We are conducting spot checks at all mines in the area with police. Some of the gold miners recently fled upon our arrival.

“It is our strong message to the mining sector that our operations as EMA is premised on environmental precautionary principle of sustainable development. Therefore, anyone who possesses a mining certificates without an accompanying EIA certificate from EMA remains an illegal operator (miner).”

He said mandatory fines for illegal gold mines were currently pegged between $10 and $5 000 depending on severity of environmental degradation caused, which determines the level of the offence.

Mr Ndlovu said environmental crimes are crimes against the State and should not be condoned in any way.

“We value the integrity of environment. The trees which the gold miners cut during mining need to be replaced. Livestock and humans also have a high risk of falling into the open pits which left by the miners.

“To award gold miners with EIA certificates we look at proximity of the mines relation to human settlements and other key infrastructures such as roads, the availability of ablution facilities, stakeholder consultation by the holder of the mining certificate and their future plans after exhausting the mineral among other factors,” he said.

He said so far they had awarded EIA certificates to 107 gold miners in Masvingo Province.

He said they were conducting regular compliance monitoring programmes around most projects in the area.

“For instance, if they are using cyanide we check on what they do to ensure that the chemical will not endanger livestock, humans and environment,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Masvingo District Administrator Mr Roy Hove, who chairs the local Civil Protection Unit, said the illegal gold miners deserved punitive fines or alternatively imprisonment.

“We have been receiving several reports, where children drown while swimming in those disused mining pits, especially during the rainy season. We also encourage those who have met all the environmental specifications to bury their pits instead of leaving them open,” he said.