THE Environmental Management Agency (Ema) has intensified its crackdown on mining activities in Mashonaland Central, issuing a sweeping suspension order targeting operations at Botha 1-4 Mine.
The order also affects the neighbouring Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, an asset linked to the sovereign wealth fund, Mutapa Investment Fund.
The enforcement action, carried out under section 37(4) of the Environmental Management Act, follows a site inspection conducted by environmental inspectors on April 3, 2026.
According to the order served — a copy of which was seen by NewsDay — authorities observed that operations at Botha Mine were being conducted “outside the coordinates of the approved mining plan” submitted to the agency, constituting a serious breach of environmental regulations.
Mining outside approved coordinates can lead to unlicensed land disturbance, unchecked tailing disposal, contamination of water sources and vegetation clearing without an environmental impact assessment.
The order, dated April 9, states: “An inspection was conducted at Botha 1-4 Mine by the environmental management inspector(s) on 3-4-2026. It was observed that they are conducting the operations outside the coordinates of the approved mining plan submitted to the agency.”
Ema inspector a M Mupotsa served the cessation order on Takunda Chitumu at the mine site.
The document explicitly directs the mine to:
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“Immediately stop all operations outside the coordinates of the approved mining plan submitted to the agency.”
Crucially, Ema’s finding that mining was being conducted outside the bounds of Botha 1-4 Mine appears to support a long-standing complaint made by Freda Rebecca Gold Mine.
In court papers and in an application to the Mines minister in terms of section 400 of the Mines and Minerals Act, Freda Rebecca alleged that Botha Mine was trading in gold not extracted from its own concession.
The complaint further states that Botha Mine has been defrauding the Mutapa Investment Fund of its resources by illegally mining and retaining gold from mining lease 21, which falls under the jurisdiction of Freda Rebecca Gold Mine.
Ema’s findings provide regulatory corroboration of those allegations, suggesting that gold extracted from Mutapa's leasehold may have been processed and sold under Botha Mine's authorisation.
The order, witnessed by R. Chinhoyi, states that “the purpose and contents of the order were explained to me at Botha 1-4 Mine” and that Chitumu acknowledged understanding them “to the best of my knowledge.”
Under the powers conferred on her under section 37(4) of the Environmental Management Act, Inspector Mupotsa issued the legally binding directive, warning that continued non-compliance will result in further legal action.
