EnviroPress Reporter Consultations on the long-awaited Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill have started to pave way for the repeal of the existing mining legislation with communities set to benefit from their resources among a host of other proposed changes. With the Bill proposing features like investor conditions, ensuring communities benefit from resources in their areas, […]

Mary Mundeya Hungry villagers in communities close to Sentinel Limpopo Safari are invading the wildlife area to kill animals for food and for sale, EnviroPress can report. The areas involved include Jalukange, Shashe, Mapani, and Limpopo among others that fall under Headman Ketumile Mahopolo Nare of ward 8 Beitbridge West under Chief Stauze of the […]

EnviroPress Reporter The Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe has expressed dissatisfaction over the ruling handed by the Chiredzi Magistrate’s court on one Financia Ziduche who was apprehended after being found in possession of over 200 bags of Mopane tree charcoal. Ziduche, from Mutare, was found not guilty when he was hauled before the court a fortnight […]

Mary Mundeya As a measure to curb recurrent poaching in areas around the Chizarira Game Park, some ex-wildlife crime convicts have joined hands with the authorities in the fight against the vice. Measuring about 2 000 square kilometres, Chizarira National Park lies in the northern part of Zimbabwe, and is the fourth-largest in Zimbabwe behind […]

EnviroPress Reporter A Kwekwe man who suffered grievous injuries on his genitals after he was savagely kicked by a Chinese supervisor at a mine he worked for has elicited legal support to sue the company for US$106 000 in damages. Onious Murada was employed by Mashava-based Empress Mine as a rigger/driller when Ian Yang attacked […]

EnviroPress Reporter The government has announced a new mining royalties system requiring companies mining gold, diamonds, lithium, platinum group metals (PGMs) and any other precious stones or valuable metal specified by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to pay part of their royalties in refined metal rather than cash. Under the Mines and Minerals Act, miners […]

…attack mirrors growing Chinese abuse of locals A 48-year-old Empress Mine employee who was savagely attacked by his Chinese boss on Novermber 19, 2022, allegedly after being found asleep on duty, suffered permanent injuries on his testicles, medical records show. Onias Murada was kicked into his genitals by his Chinese supervisor Ian Yang, who is […]

EnviroPress Reporter The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines chairperson Edmund Mkaratigwa has urged government to expedite the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill to close loopholes that lead to exploitation of minerals. The most important reform required is to update the Mines and Minerals Act to remove the colonial construct and make it more relevant to […]

EnviroPress Reporter Mining law is principally regulated in terms of legislation passed by Parliament though precedent or case law from the courts; common law and customary law also regulate mining law.  The Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05], and the regulations made in terms of that Act, is the principal legislation that regulates mining law.  […]

Martha Leboho A visit along the Mucheke River recently has proved the enormous challenges posed by rampant stream bank cultivation at a time when the greatest environmental challenges seem to be posed by illegal mining and climate change. When the Coronavirus was first detected in Zimbabwe, Gogo Mutema (not her real name) did not imagine […]

Martha Leboho In many cases, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in an increase of over-dependency on natural resources for survival, with more sustainable livelihoods having been eroded by different levels of lockdowns over a protracted period. Such dependence is affecting many forms of natural resources including trees which are increasingly getting destroyed for firewood as access […]

…as pesticides, climate change doom Mopane worm business Upenyu Chaota A network of charcoal dealers from Harare is reportedly paying about R20 for a 90kg bag of charcoal thereby incentivizing the destruction of the vital Mopane tree species in Mwenezi. Mopane charcoal has high market value and is mainly used as a cheaper energy alternative […]