Alluvial mining extracts minerals from riverbeds and floodplains, while riverbed mining targets river channels. Both can harm the environment and pollute water.

On Tuesday, the Zimbabwean government reimplemented its ban on alluvial and riverbed mining to combat environmental damage, media reported.

Although the ban was initially declared in 2020, the practice has persisted in recent years.
“The Cabinet noted that ever since its commencement in 2011 across the country’s rural provinces, large-scale and mechanical alluvial mining or riverbed mining has resulted in water pollution, siltation, degradation of river channels, and disruption of riverine ecosystems,” Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere was quoted as saying.

At the same post-cabinet media briefing, Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Anxious Masuka, who also leads the interministerial committee on mining and the environment, announced that law enforcement agencies will strictly enforce the ban.He further stated that offenders will face severe penalties, including the confiscation of mining equipment.