By Flata Kavinga
Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects, Jorum M. Gumbo, has called on government to urgently come up with regulations or legislation to control illegal mining activities, warning that failure to act will continue to endanger communities and damage the environment.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a tour of Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe on Wednesday, Gumbo said the lack of a clear policy framework on artisanal and small-scale mining has contributed to the destruction of infrastructure and disruption of learning in affected communities.
“What we are seeing today is actually a result of no policy. Illegal miners must be controlled and if we don’t do that, even the environment gets damaged. As a country, we will just remain with dongas everywhere, which is not good for the nation,” Gumbo said.
Globe and Phoenix Primary School was decommissioned in 2023 after threats posed by illegal mining activities at the institution.
Gumbo expressed satisfaction with ongoing rehabilitation efforts, noting that the school could be reopened by September this year following collaboration between government, the church, and other stakeholders.
“The operation of this school, once reopened, will bring relief to locals and parents around this area, as many children were transferred to other schools due to classroom shortages,” he said.
While acknowledging that artisanal miners contribute significantly to the economy, producing about 10 percent of Zimbabwe’s gold, Gumbo stressed the need for mining to be done in a safe and controlled manner.
“We appreciate their contribution to the GDP, but that should not be a reason for them to operate without order. There is need for regulations or an Act that brings sanity to the sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, Globe and Phoenix Primary School headmaster, Gibson Murehwi, has expressed concern over unregulated mining activities taking place adjacent to the newly established school premises, warning that the operations could endanger learners and staff.
Murehwi said the presence of miners working close to the institution’s boundary poses a serious risk of structural collapse similar to what happened at the old school site.
“A classroom block at the original school collapsed due to illegal mining activities. At the new school, we are sharing the boundary with a mine which poses a threat to the school. There is a possibility that the new school can collapse due to uncontrolled illegal mining activities,” he said.
The original Globe and Phoenix Primary School was decommissioned in 2023 after its infrastructure was damaged by illegal mining taking place beneath and around the premises. Learners were later relocated to Russell Primary Primary School for lessons.
Murehwi appealed for urgent intervention from authorities to ensure that mining around the school grounds is properly regulated to safeguard the safety of pupils, teachers and infrastructure.
