by NQOBANI MATHIBELA
GWANDA – ILLEGAL mining — locally known as “amakorokoza” — has spiraled out of control across Gwanda and other parts of Matabeleland South, turning the once-peaceful province into a hub of environmental destruction, violence, and lawlessness. Driven by poverty, unemployment, and government neglect, thousands of desperate youths have turned to unregulated mining as their only means of survival.
In Gwanda, Filabusi, Esigodini, and West Nicholson, gold-rich hills have been reduced to open scars. Rivers such as Umzingwane and Insiza are heavily silted, while farmland is destroyed by unrehabilitated pits. Many of the illegal miners live in makeshift shacks without water, sanitation, or security, often engaging in violent turf wars over gold claims.
Economic collapse and high unemployment — estimated at over 90 percent — have forced many into artisanal mining. The closure of formal mines like Blanket, Vumbachikwe, and Farvic over the years left thousands jobless. The failure of the ZANU-PF government to create alternative livelihoods has compounded the problem, while corruption among local officials and police allows the chaos to persist.
“Illegal mining has become the only option for survival. People are hungry, jobs are gone, and no one cares about this region,” said a Gwanda resident who requested anonymity.
Environmentalists warn that without urgent intervention; Matabeleland South faces an ecological disaster. Livestock are dying from poisoned water sources, while abandoned shafts have claimed dozens of lives.
Experts say the crisis can be curbed through formalisation and sustainable regulation. Government should grant small-scale miners legal claims, train them on safety and environmental management, and ensure that gold buyers operate transparently.
“There is a need to integrate artisanal miners into the formal economy instead of criminalising them,” said economist Dr. Nyasha Dube.
Additionally, stronger law enforcement against politically connected gold barons, coupled with investment in job creation, could help reduce illegal mining.
Until then, Gwanda’s goldfields remain a symbol of state neglect — a region sitting on wealth that enriches a few while leaving its people trapped in poverty and peril.
