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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter 

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has shut down six illegal mines while ticketing 18 others for environmental degradation and not complying with the law in Matabeleland South. 

The environmental watchdog is carrying out a blitz on illegal mining activities in the gold rich province.

EMA is intensifying efforts to address land degradation due to mining activities countrywide.

In an interview, EMA national spokesperson Mrs Amkela Sidange said between Monday and Wednesday last week, the parastatal conducted 300 inspections in gold hotspots of Matobo, Gwanda, Insiza and Umzingwane districts.

She said gold panning activities were seriously damaging the environment hence they will continue raiding those violating the law. “We have issued about 18 tickets to those found on the wrong side of the law that includes those operating without an EIA, those who are operating in a manner that harms the environment. We have issued six environmental protection orders for the cessation of operations until operators formalise their operations through the EIA process.”

Mrs Sidange did not name the mines that were shut down.

She said EMA has also noted with concern that lives are being lost as miners engage in unorthodox gold extraction activities.

 “We have done more than 300 inspections and we have also done what we call environmental audits. An Environmental audit, is when we get to a place where there is a project and audit key environmental elements such as issues of land degradation, issues of whether operators have the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and all other things that concern the environment,” she said. 

Mrs Sidange said EMA was worried because some people were using hazardous substances in a manner that is harming them.

She said EMA was finding it difficult to deal with illegal miners panning gold at Nugget mine in Matobo district, who were playing  cat and mouse games with law enforcement agents.

“One major area that we have discovered is highly degraded is Nugget mine. The degradation is done by illegal miners who at the approach of law enforcement agents run away. At the moment we are trying to work with other law enforcement agents within Matobo so that we put the area under guard,” said Mrs Sidange.-@nqotshili