Zimbabwe has implemented an immediate ban on riverbed alluvial mining to safeguard the environment, a decision expected to significantly affect many of the country’s gold miners.
Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka announced the ban following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Enforcement measures will be introduced to ensure compliance with the new regulations. Since 2011, Zimbabwe has permitted large-scale and mechanical alluvial mining, which has led to water pollution, siltation, and the degradation of river channels. Although a similar ban was issued in 2020, it was not fully enforced.
Currently, over 60% of Zimbabwe’s gold production comes from small-scale miners, many of whom rely on riverbed mining to extract the precious metal.
From January to July this year, Zimbabwe produced 17,279.4 kilograms of gold, up from 16,855.4 kilograms during the same period last year, according to official data.
