KEY POINTS
- ACT-SA denounces the illicit gold mining operations in Zimbabwe’s Zhombe.
- Authorities are charged of shielding mining syndicate members.
- ACT-SA demands a swift inquiry and the holding of those responsible accountable.
The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) has expressed its disgust over an organized crime group that reportedly mined illegally for alluvial gold while disguising its operations as dam scooping. Reportedly, powerful individuals such as politicians, law enforcement, and local government are guarding the syndicate.
Ecosystems are threatened by illicit gold mining
In Sessombi, Zhombe, and Kwekwe, illegal alluvial gold mining is still taking place at the MaDollar dams. ACT-SA claims that the operations are seriously harming the environment, influencing the adjacent ecosystems as well as the riverbed.
Alouis Munyaradzi Chaumba, the chairperson of ACT-SA, emphasized threats that the syndicate’s members had made, citing Chief Gwesela as one of the traditional leaders purportedly implicated in the mining. It is stated that these threats were made following ACT-SA’s exposure of the illicit operations.
In his words, Chaumba denounced “an unholy confluence of corruption, patronage, and impunity.” He pointed out that there was a flagrant disrespect for the rule of law in the police’s refusal to accept a report submitted by ACT-SA, particularly those stationed at Kwekwe Central Police Station.
Calls for accountability and investigation
The chairperson of ACT-SA called for a comprehensive investigation into the role of the Zibagwe Rural District Council and other institutions, and demanded accountability for anyone involved in the illicit actions.
In particular, ACT-SA questioned how permits for dam scooping were granted in the absence of a clear applicant. Acccording to New Zimbabwe, Chaumba stressed that information about which politically exposed people are supporting these unlawful activities should be made public.
A number of government agencies, including the Office of the President and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, have received copies of the ACT-SA report. The report has been widely disseminated, yet there has been no meaningful response, raising questions about the efficacy of the oversight procedures.
Chaumba cited Section 56 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, which provides equal protection under the law, to accuse the Zimbabwe Republic Police of violating their constitutional obligations. The continued illicit mining operations, in which participants allegedly brag about their political support, expose the absence of efficient control.
Action against unlicensed miners
The Anti-Corruption Trust emphasized once more how urgent it is to stop these unlawful actions. They demanded the immediate suspension of mining operations, the seizure of all mining equipment utilized at the location, and a thorough examination of the process by which permits for dam scooping were granted.
In addition, the organization wanted compensation for farmers who had been harmed and that those responsible pay for repairing the ecosystem.
Chaumba also demanded that the government look into Chief Gwesela’s purported misuse of his position, authority, and power in detail. ACT-SA called on the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and other authorities to look into the role of Chinese nationals in the unlawful mining operations.
Law enforcement and political officials must act decisively in light of the unfolding crisis. ACT-SA emphasized that inaction would increase public mistrust of the nation’s institutions and permit illicit mining operations to go unchecked.
