The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has defended the approval of mining projects upstream of Umzingwane Dam, saying Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and other key stakeholders were consulted through legally required Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) before operations were authorised.
EMA made the remarks amid growing public concern over the impact of mining and other activities on Umzingwane Dam, a key water source for Bulawayo. The city’s supply dams have failed to fill despite a relatively strong 2025–26 rainy season, a situation council authorities have partly blamed on extensive mining in catchment areas.
Responding to questions on the state of Bulawayo’s dams during a multi-stakeholder meeting held in Bulawayo on Thursday, EMA’s EIA and Ecosystems Protection Officer, Bhekimpilo Ndlovu, said all mining activities currently taking place upstream of the city’s dams were approved only after EIAs were conducted, as required by law.
“The Bulawayo City Council was consulted for the two major projects that are upstream of Umzingwane Dam,” Ndlovu said.
He said the challenges affecting Umzingwane Dam require a holistic, multi-agency response, citing the presence of illegal gold panners operating within the Umzingwane River itself.
“Yes, we may not rule out the contribution of the two large-scale projects, but an all-stakeholder approach is required. The Zimbabwe Republic Police are needed to flush out illegal panners who are digging large pits along the river, which is stopping water from flowing into Umzingwane Dam. It is not EMA alone,” he said.
Ndlovu added that the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), rural district councils and other government departments also have a role to play, alongside consideration of climate change and catchment management practices.
“We must establish what the major contributing factor is – whether it is the two large mines, the illegal panners scattered from Umzingwane to the Matopos area, climate change, or poor land-use planning around the catchment,” he said.
He acknowledged that mining methods such as open-cast mining and heap leaching, now increasingly used in Matabeleland South, are more disruptive than traditional underground shaft mining.
“This is a new era of mining for this region. We were used to traditional shaft mining and carbon-in-pulp methods, but now we have open-cast mining and heap leaching, and the target area has been the Umzingwane mountains,” Ndlovu said.
He insisted that all such projects went through the EIA process, which includes consultations with local communities, traditional leaders, heritage institutions and other stakeholders.
“We have communities, local farmers, traditional leaders, and institutions responsible for heritage and mountains. Meetings were held and reports produced, and these stakeholders gave a green light for the activities,” he said.
EMA said companies were required to submit progressive rehabilitation plans to restore disturbed land during and after mining.
“Open-cast mining produces pits and causes degradation at the start, but with mitigation measures and progressive rehabilitation we expect restoration of sites over time,” Ndlovu said.
The agency said inspection teams are currently on the ground monitoring compliance with EIA conditions and warned that environmental licences can be withdrawn if companies fail to implement approved management and rehabilitation plans.
“When stakeholders are not satisfied, they have the right under the Act to raise concerns, and certificates that have been issued can be cancelled,” he said.
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