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Zimbabwe’s environmental regulator has restricted heavy-truck movements at Sabi Star Mine and Gwanda Lithium Mine over fugitive dust emissions, escalating enforcement against mining operations accused of failing to adequately control pollution, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said the two mines had been served with Environmental Protection Orders requiring them to suspend truck movements along designated production routes until they submit comprehensive dust management plans and implement measures to the agency’s satisfaction.
Sabi Star Mine is located in Buhera District, Manicaland Province, while Gwanda Lithium Mine operates in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province.
The orders, which remained in force as of October 23, follow repeated warnings and earlier environmental directives that EMA said had failed to resolve the problem.
The agency attributed the emissions largely to heavy vehicles travelling along internal haul roads and between production areas, creating dust that poses risks to public health, infrastructure and the surrounding environment.
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EMA said it had intensified enforcement after some mining projects continued to fall short of prescribed dust suppression requirements. The restrictions form part of a wider compliance exercise that could lead to prosecution where warranted.
The regulator said it was exercising its powers under Section 37(4) of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27] to compel compliance and protect the environment.
The action places dust management under scrutiny as mining activity expands across Zimbabwe, particularly in mineral-producing areas where truck movements and the handling and transportation of ore can generate significant airborne dust.
Controls commonly used at mining sites include watering haul roads, applying suitable dust suppressants, maintaining road surfaces and managing vehicle speeds. EMA said the two mines must demonstrate that their dust management measures meet its requirements before the suspended transportation activities can resume on the affected routes.
The agency also appealed to communities living around the projects to report truck movements that violate the restrictions, warning that enforcement would continue and could be extended to other operations that fail to comply with environmental laws.
EMA said mining development should not come at the expense of environmental integrity or the health and well-being of surrounding communities.