The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has cracked down on mining companies operating in Kitsiyatota and Botha Mine after uncovering serious violations of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations, ordering the immediate suspension of all mining activities, imposing fines on offending operators, and demanding full rehabilitation of the damaged environment.
In an enforcement order dated 7 April 2026, EMA issued a directive following an inspection conducted at Gilded Treasures, Botha Mine, where authorities discovered extensive gold processing operations being undertaken without proper environmental compliance.
“Following inspection which was conducted at Gilded Treasures, Botha Mine, it was observed that implementing a prescribed project, namely gold processing using VAT leach tanks, 90 tanks, and six boilers. Now therefore under and by virtue of the powers conferred upon me under Section 37(4) of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27], I hereby order that with immediate effect stop all operations,” read the directive.
The decisive enforcement action follows laboratory tests conducted by EMA which confirmed that water sources in Kitsiyatota, Mashonaland Central, have been contaminated by unregulated mining activities linked to Botha Mine and associated operators. According to the agency’s official findings, water samples were classified in the non-compliant category under Zimbabwe’s Environmental Management (Effluent and Solid Waste Disposal) Regulations, with pollution indicators showing traces consistent with cyanide and other hazardous chemicals commonly used in gold processing.
In a strict directive, EMA also ordered the miners to restore the environment and submit rehabilitation plans addressing land degradation, water contamination, and damage caused by mining activities.
The crackdown comes amid growing outrage from Bindura residents, who have vowed to ensure that all polluters are brought to book for allegedly endangering communities and destroying natural resources. Residents have intensified pressure on authorities following months of complaints over environmental destruction and deteriorating safety conditions in the mining area.
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Recently, Bindura Magistrates Court issued an interim interdict compelling Botha Mine and its contractors to stop all mining operations in Kitsiyatota, Headgear, Morocco, GMB, Gwingwindi, and Phoenix Prince Mine pending clarification by EMA on the precise boundaries and scope of the EIA certificate held by Side Electricals, trading as Botha Mine.
Court proceedings were marred by what legal experts described as desperate attempts by Botha Mine to evade scrutiny after its legal representatives reportedly filed a defective notice of appeal in the High Court in Bulawayo—despite the matter falling under the jurisdiction of the Harare High Court. Lawyers dismissed the move as irregular and mischievous, saying it was an apparent attempt to frustrate enforcement efforts.
Environmental advocate Heather Anesu Mahureva, representing concerned Bindura residents, has also approached the High Court seeking urgent intervention to permanently halt operations in Kitsiyatota. She argued that worsening environmental destruction, alleged illegal mining, and rising violence in the area have made the gold-rich zone unsafe for surrounding communities.
The government has since warned that tougher penalties are on the horizon, with authorities preparing stricter mining regulations under the Responsible Mining Initiative Part 2, which could see mining firms stripped of their titles for environmental violations or failure to rehabilitate damaged land.