A Chinese company, Friends of the Environment, deceived the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) after agreeing to a partnership aimed at closing open pits left by artisanal miners in the Umzingwane River. Instead, the company was found engaging in riverbed mining, a practice that is harmful to the environment.
EMA responded by terminating its agreement with the company. However, it remains unclear whether any legal action or prosecution followed the breach of trust and environmental violations.
This development was revealed last week by Tafadzwa Muguti, the secretary for presidential affairs and devolution. Muguti visited Matabeleland South to inspect the environmental damage caused by illegal mining in the catchment areas of major dams.
The riverbed mining activities carried out by the company reportedly caused significant damage to a bridge at the confluence of the Umzingwane and Inyankuni rivers. The destruction has worsened the environmental crisis in the area.
Officials say the company’s actions have also contributed to reduced inflows into major dams that supply water to Bulawayo. The environmental damage poses a threat to the region’s water security and highlights the ongoing challenges of illegal mining
