Conservation under threat as Mines Ministry continues to entertain applications to mine in protected areas – ZimParks 

By Anna Chibamu

CONSERVATION is under serious threat from mining activities in protected areas countrywide, putting wild animals at risk of extinction, a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) official has said.

Giving oral evidence to the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Parliamentary Portfolio Committee this Monday, ZimParks Corporate Secretary Nyasha Mutyambizi said the Mines ministry continued to accept applications for mining purposes in the restricted areas meant for conservation and tourism.

Mutyambizi said tourists were no longer keen to visit Zimbabwe due to the rampant mining activities in tourist attraction areas.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Zimbabwe has the second largest elephant population and third largest total numbers of rhinos in Southern Africa (excluding South Africa) and the third largest individual black rhino population in the world.

“Our international market of tourists is now questioning how conservation and mining coexist.

“They are asking: ‘Why should we come to Zimbabwe when your laws do not protect animals?’

“Because there are people who are very passionate about animals, and they believe that as a government, as an authority, we should be able to stop mining in areas such as Matopos National Park,” Mutyambizi said.

Most people believe that the richest mining deposits are within these areas.

“Everybody wants to come and mine in these areas and this is putting a lot of pressure on the department as we struggle to conserve the areas.”

Even though the government has put in place some cabinet resolutions, ZimParks has had two or three mining in the proxy state.

“We are constantly surprised to continue seeing applications going through our colleagues at Ministry of Mines.

“Last week, we had some public hearings with the Mines Board where there was such a request.

“And despite everybody being optimistic, we could still hear them requesting to explore 16 hectares. The Mines Ministry and the client were saying, okay, we will not do the 16 hectares, allow us to do one hectare,” she told the Parly committee.

She continued: “We do not understand why these applications are being entertained with a similar problem for Matopo’s, one of our flagships.

“We received hundreds of complaints and petitions from all over the world, from embassies, but we seem not to really have that much value for conservation.

“But we know that conservation, if we look after our animals, if we look after our areas, we have the potential to generate more money. Conservation preserves the environment and generations will continue to come and see these areas.”

Mutyambizi, however, highlighted that there was conflicting legislation on mining and conservation in Zimbabwe, making it difficult to take full control of the protected areas.

“We do have a serious problem but as ZimParks, all we can do is to try and use our own legislation, but we have got conflicting legislation that is also coming into our areas.”