GOVERNMENT has gazetted new regulations banning mining activities by individuals granted special permits in response to the environmental damage caused by alluvial mining along several rivers.
This comes hardly a month after two Chinese companies were banned from engaging in alluvial gold mining along Sanyati River that borders Hurungwe and Nyaminyami districts.
Statutory Instrument 188 of 2024 indicates that anyone found violating the regulations will be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 14, imprisonment for up to 12 months or both a fine and imprisonment.
“No person shall, with effect from the promulgation of this section, conduct alluvial mining activities or carry out prospecting for alluvial deposits in or along any river or public stream (as that term is defined in section 2(1) of the Water Act [Chapter 20:24]), whether or not (a) they are in possession of a special grant; or an express written authority of the minister responsible for the administration of the Act granted under exceptional circumstances in terms of Statutory Instrument 92 of 2014; or an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as required by section 97 of the Environmental Management Act that authorises the alluvial mining in question; or any authority, permit or licence whatsoever under whatever enactment issued that purports to authorise alluvial mining activities or prospecting for alluvial deposits,” the law read.
It further states that any special grant, written authority, permit, licence, EIA or Environmental Management Plan referred to in subsection 1 ceases to be valid or have any force or effect.
“Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 14 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding twelve (12) months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
“The holder of any special grant or written authority referred to in subsection (1)(a)(i) or (ii) who, immediately before the date of promulgation of this section, was lawfully conducting alluvial mining activities or carrying out prospecting for alluvial deposits shall, with effect from the promulgation of this section, immediately cease such activities or prospecting and must, no later than 30 days of such cessation, have carried out such rehabilitation measures in terms of section 7 as may be appropriate in the circumstances,” the law said.