By: APA news

Mining companies in Zimbabwe could soon lose their operating licences if they fail to comply with environmental laws under sweeping reforms set to be introduced in a new government policy aimed at enforcing sustainable practices.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando told the privately owned NewsDay on Tuesday that the forthcoming Responsible Mining Initiative Part 2 will impose binding penalties, including the revocation of mining titles, for firms that neglect land rehabilitation or flout environmental regulations.

“This new phase will address head-on the issues relating to environmental damage, which will include loss of mining title,” Chitando said.

The initiative marks one of Zimbabwe’s most aggressive policy shifts in decades, reflecting mounting public anger over environmental destruction linked to the mining sector.

Mining generates more than 60 percent of the country’s export earnings, driven by gold, platinum and lithium, but has left behind polluted rivers, deforested landscapes and abandoned pits across provinces such as Manicaland, Midlands and Mashonaland West.

Communities near mining zones have long complained of toxic waste, unsafe operations and lack of accountability while civil society groups accuse authorities of ignoring court rulings and shielding politically connected operators.

Artisanal and corporate mining has turned once-clear rivers into sludge, devastating crops and livelihoods.

Chitando said the new framework will move beyond voluntary compliance, introducing stronger oversight, coordination with the Environmental Management Agency, and requirements for mine closure and rehabilitation plans before extraction begins.