PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has unveiled a sweeping emergency rehabilitation programme targeting rivers damaged by illegal and destructive alluvial mining, with the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Anxious Masuka, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Mining and Environment, describing the initiative as critical to protecting water supplies, agriculture and ecosystems.
The declaration, contained in Statutory Instrument 91 of 2026 titled Civil Protection (Declaration of State of Disaster: Emergency Riverine Ecosystems Rehabilitation) Notice, 2026, was gazetted on May 28 and establishes an extensive framework for the rehabilitation of rivers affected by alluvial and riverbed mining activities.
Minister Masuka said the programme was necessary to reverse environmental destruction that has threatened irrigation systems, agriculture, urban water supplies and industrial activity.
“I am humbled by the President’s bold magnanimity to eliminate this scourge of degradation of rivers from alluvial mining activities to allow ecosystem restoration for agriculture, industry and the environment,” said Dr Masuka.
“For example, areas proximal to Mazowe and Mwenje dams have had to reduce the area under irrigation for winter wheat due to alluvial mining activities and diversion of river systems. In Umzingwane, alluvial mining activities threaten supply of water to Bulawayo, while the Mutare river is choked and diverted thus interrupting water flow. We must act with alacrity, with purpose and boldly to ensure the President’s directive is fully implemented in the short time frame available.”
The statutory instrument states that large sections of Zimbabwe’s river systems have suffered severe degradation from riverbed and alluvial gold mining, resulting in pollution, siltation, destruction of river channels and disruption of aquatic ecosystems.
The Government said the emergency rehabilitation programme is grounded in constitutional obligations to protect the environment, sustainably manage natural resources and prevent ecological degradation.
According to the statutory instrument, rivers identified for rehabilitation include Mazowe, Murowodzi, Save, Angwa, Sanyati, Munyati, Mupfure, Umzingwane, Insiza, Mutare, Haroni and Nyamukwarara, among others spread across Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Midlands, Manicaland and Matabeleland South provinces.
The latest measures build on a 2024 Cabinet directive that imposed an immediate ban on riverbed mining nationwide after authorities noted widespread ecological destruction linked to alluvial mining operations.
In August 2024, Cabinet considered and approved a report on alluvial mining and rehabilitation of degraded rivers presented by Dr Masuka in his capacity as chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Mining and Environment.
Cabinet noted then that since the commencement of large-scale and mechanical alluvial mining activities in 2011, river systems across rural provinces had experienced increasing pollution, siltation, degradation of river channels and disruption of riverine ecosystems.
Government subsequently directed that riverbed mining be banned with immediate effect.
The clampdown intensified in October 2024 when Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Marian Chombo ordered ministries, departments and agencies to immediately stop destructive alluvial gold mining along major rivers in the province, particularly the Sanyati, Mupfure and Angwa rivers.
At the time, authorities accused some operators of abusing desilting licences issued by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) by engaging in unauthorised mining activities that worsened environmental damage instead of rehabilitating rivers.
Under the new statutory instrument, the Government has now established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Riverine Ecosystems Rehabilitation to oversee the rehabilitation programme. The committee will include ministers responsible for environment, water, mining, home affairs and local government, among others.
A technical Working Party chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary to Cabinet has also been established to evaluate rehabilitation contractors, monitor projects and coordinate implementation through EMA, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) and provincial mining authorities.
Provincial committees chaired by Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs will supervise implementation at local level alongside EMA, ZINWA, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Provincial Mining Directors.
The statutory instrument outlines detailed rehabilitation measures, including removal of invasive species and debris, restoration of natural river channels, stabilisation of riverbanks, replanting of indigenous vegetation, sediment management, pollution reduction and continuous water quality monitoring.
Authorities said contractors engaged under the programme will be required to possess technical expertise in hydrology, ecology, environmental engineering and river rehabilitation, while also demonstrating financial capacity and compliance with environmental regulations.
The Government also introduced strict operational conditions for rehabilitation projects, including prohibitions on rehabilitation work during peak rainy seasons, restrictions on construction of processing plants within 500 metres of riverbanks and mandatory environmental audits before sites are cleared of liability.
Notably, the statutory instrument allows approved rehabilitation contractors to recover minerals encountered during rehabilitation activities, provided the process is authorised and conducted under strict supervision by mining authorities.
However, the law explicitly states that the rehabilitation programme must not be used as a cover for ordinary alluvial mining operations and that recovered minerals remain subject to royalties and regulatory oversight.
The declaration further empowers EMA to halt any contractor whose activities threaten the environment or exceed approved rehabilitation plans.
Government says the programme seeks not only to rehabilitate degraded rivers, but also to restore biodiversity, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience and protect critical national water infrastructure that supports agriculture, industry and urban settlements.