By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s environmental watchdog, the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), has petitioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa to immediately suspend mining activities at Christmas Pass in Mutare, warning that continued operations could trigger a humanitarian and environmental disaster.
In a petition addressed to the President last week, CNRG urged the Head of State to intervene, arguing that mining at the iconic mountain raises serious concerns over environmental compliance, public safety and adherence to Zimbabwe’s Constitution.
“The situation unfolding at Christmas Pass Mountain in Mutare demands your urgent intervention to safeguard the rule of law, public safety and Zimbabwe’s natural heritage,” the organisation said in the petition.
CNRG reminded President Mnangagwa of the constitutional oath he took upon assuming office, saying it places a duty on him to ensure that government institutions uphold the law and protect citizens’ constitutional rights.
The organization cited Section 73 of the Constitution, which guarantees every Zimbabwean the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being, as well as provisions of the Environmental Management Act requiring mining projects with significant environmental impacts to obtain approved Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
According to the petition, mining activities at Christmas Pass have been linked to Culverhouse Investments (Private) Limited, operators of Toronto Mine.
CNRG alleged that despite an Environmental Management Agency (EMA) rehabilitation order issued on March 30, 2026, directing the company to stop new excavations and focus solely on rehabilitation, mining activities have allegedly continued.
“Several visits by community organizations, residents and civil society organizations observed that mining activities have continued beyond the stipulated deadline and that additional excavation, vegetation clearance and deployment of heavy machinery have taken place after the EMA intervention,” the petition reads.
“It represents not only a failure to comply with regulatory directives but also a serious challenge to the rule of law and environmental governance. A rehabilitation order cannot lawfully become a licence for continued commercial extraction.”
The environmental organization also accused authorities of failing to adequately consult communities living near the mountain before mining operations expanded.
It said residents, traditional leaders, community organizations and civil society groups have repeatedly called for meaningful public participation, arguing that decisions affecting their environment should not be made without their involvement.
CNRG warned that continued open-cast mining on the slopes of Christmas Pass could increase the risk of landslides, mudslides and soil erosion, particularly during the rainy season.
The organization said communities in Toronto, Murambi, Fairbridge and Penhalonga, together with learners and staff at Hillcrest College, could be exposed to significant danger if excavation continues unchecked.
“No economic benefit can justify exposing children, families and communities to foreseeable danger. The first duty of Government is the protection of life,” the petition states.
The group further described Christmas Pass as one of Zimbabwe’s most important natural landmarks, arguing that its ecological, cultural, historical and tourism value outweighs any short-term gains from mineral extraction.
“To sacrifice such an irreplaceable national treasure for short-term mineral extraction would not only endanger surrounding communities but also rob future generations of a landscape that forms an integral part of Zimbabwe’s environmental and cultural legacy,” CNRG said.
The petition raises concerns over the enforcement of environmental regulations, questioning why EMA directives appear to have been ignored without consequence.
“Public confidence in environmental governance depends not merely on the issuance of regulatory orders but on their timely, impartial and effective enforcement,” the organization said.
Among its demands, CNRG called on President Mnangagwa to order the immediate suspension of mining at Christmas Pass pending an independent investigation, review the legality of mining licences and Environmental Impact Assessment approvals, commission independent geotechnical and environmental studies, enforce existing rehabilitation orders and consider declaring Christmas Pass a protected environmental and heritage area.
“The people of Mutare seek neither confrontation nor conflict. They seek protection, accountability and the assurance that no child, family or community will suffer a preventable tragedy because environmental laws were ignored or inadequately enforced,” the petition concludes.
The Government, the Environmental Management Agency and Culverhouse Investments had not publicly responded to the petition at the time of publication.