Zimbabwe has introduced an immediate ban on riverbed alluvial mining to safeguard the environment, a move expected to affect many of the country’s gold miners. Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka announced the decision after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The government said enforcement measures will be introduced to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
Zimbabwe previously allowed large-scale and mechanical alluvial mining from 2011 onward. Officials linked that activity to water pollution, siltation, and degradation of river channels. A similar ban was issued in 2020, but it was not fully enforced.
Impact on small-scale gold production
More than 60% of Zimbabwe’s gold production currently comes from small-scale miners. Many of those miners rely on riverbed mining to extract gold. The new restrictions are therefore expected to have a direct effect on this segment of production.
Gold output figures for January to July
Official data show that Zimbabwe produced 17,279.4 kilograms of gold from January to July this year. Production during the same period last year was 16,855.4 kilograms. The figures indicate an increase over the year-to-date period.