By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE – Residents and property owners in Imbeza Valley, near Penhalonga, have petitioned Government to urgently stop suspected illegal alluvial mining along the Imbeza River, accusing mining operators of destroying the waterway and threatening the livelihoods of an entire community.
The residents allege that Chinese mining operators, working with Zimbabwean nationals, have invaded the area and started extracting gold along the river, which they say is the community’s main source of water for domestic consumption, livestock and agricultural activities.
In a petition dated October 23, 2026, addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, the residents called for the immediate suspension of the operations and an investigation into permits reportedly authorising the activities as river rehabilitation.
The petition was also copied to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Riverine Ecosystems Rehabilitation through the Environmental Management Agency (EMA).
The residents allege that although the operators claim to be conducting river rehabilitation, their activities resemble gold extraction and mineral processing rather than environmental restoration.
“We are deeply concerned that what is being presented as an environmental restoration initiative has instead assumed the characteristics of a gold extraction and mineral-processing operation, threatening the river, public health, agricultural livelihoods and property values in Imbeza Valley,” reads part of the petition.
They said the Imbeza River was particularly important because residents do not have access to Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) piped water and depend entirely on the river for their daily needs.
According to the petition, the community has observed a deterioration in water quality since the disputed operations began, with concerns over contamination, excessive siltation and the river’s suitability for human consumption and irrigation.
“The construction of slime dams, establishment of what appears to be a mineral-processing plant and interference with the river’s natural flow have heightened these concerns,” the residents said.
They further questioned the justification for the purported rehabilitation exercise, arguing that the affected stretch of the river had not previously experienced the scale of alluvial mining now suspected.
In a separate account to The Wasu Post, community representatives alleged that grazing lands and property previously occupied by Organiks, a company which exported herbs, had been extensively excavated.
They also claimed that some of the affected land included property belonging to the National Trust of Zimbabwe, which had reportedly been leased to Organiks.
The residents further questioned the legitimacy of the operators’ permits, alleging that mining groups had been offering property owners up to US$50,000 to secure access to their land.
They said the offers had raised suspicions about the actual intentions of the operators, particularly given the alleged absence of meaningful river rehabilitation.
The community also claims that three additional groups have since established operations along the river, extending the alleged mining activities into privately owned plots.
“We are afraid that these Chinese will destroy the area. The river has already been destroyed to such an extent that there is no clear water, but slime and mud,” the residents said.
The community said it had approached several authorities, including EMA, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Criminal Investigation Department’s Minerals, Fauna and Flora Unit, seeking intervention over the alleged activities.
However, they claim that their efforts have not yielded the urgent action they expected.
The petition calls for Government intervention to establish the legality and scope of the permits, investigate the alleged mining activities and protect the river from further environmental damage.
The allegations raise fresh concerns over the regulation of alluvial mining in Manicaland, where riverine mining activities have repeatedly sparked environmental and community concerns.
The Wasu Post could not independently establish the authenticity or conditions of the permits allegedly held by the operators. The mining companies and relevant Government departments had not provided their responses to the allegations at the time of publication.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, EMA and other relevant authorities are expected to clarify the nature of the operations and whether they comply with the country’s mining and environmental regulations.