The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has warned the country’s mines ministry to cancel the application for an exclusive prospection of mining activities in Hwange National Pack, targeting the Sinamatella Black Rhino Intensive Protection Zone and never entertain such applications in future.
It said the area is a critical habitat for black rhinos and currently supports a growing population of the endangered species, which is listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
“Needless to mention the proposed mining project will actually increase the risk of species extinction and prospects of population recovery will be negatively affected,” said ZimParks.
“The proposed mining project poses a significant threat, worsening the degradation of land, a critical concern for ZimParks, which has a mandate to ensure that at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and ecosystems are restored by 2030.”
It said although substantial progress was made in reviving wildlife populations across the nation, the introduction of mining activities in this vital area would undermine ecological conditions essential for wildlife survival and reproduction.
“This compromise will hinder our ongoing efforts to maintain and restore healthy populations of wildlife,” said ZimParks.
“Approving mining in this zone would not only contradict ZimParks' conservation mandate but also tarnish Zimbabwe's reputation regionally and internationally as a world leader in sustainable conservation.”
Hwange National Park is home to Africa's second-largest elephant population, and mining may interfere with the flow of groundwater, threatening vital water sources relied upon by wildlife.
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