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In an interview, Chief Mapanzure said the uncoordinated chrome mining activities have left many gullies which were now threatening the lives of people and their livestock.

“There are a lot of chrome mining activities taking place in my area.

“Some of the people involved in mining are the Chinese and their problem is they do not fill the gullies they create when mining. This has left our livestock and people in danger. Some of the villagers have since lost cattle which fell into these open pits and gullies,” he said.

Chief Mapanzure said there were growing fears that livestock in the area could soon face starvation owing to lack of pastures.

He said they have since approached the Zvishavane district administrator’s office to have the matter addressed.

“There is a lot of earth-moving machinery operating some open-cast mining in the area and we fear that if this continues unchecked our livestock will end up having no grazing pasture. We have since approached the office of the district administrator to find a lasting solution to this problem which has now gone out of hand. We expect to have a meeting with the DA and the companies operating in the area over the issue,” he said.

Chief Mapanzure said what was more worrying was that some of the chrome mining activities were now encroaching into the villagers’ fields.

“There are some pegs that were pegged in the villagers’ fields resulting in people complaining strongly against the act,” he said.