Smallholder farmers in rural Gwanda, a region in Zimbabwe that borders South Africa, have been affected by a double shock – a combination of heat, droughts and floods caused by climate change, and water contamination and damaged land caused by illegal, small-scale mining.
I held group discussions in Gwanda, surveyed 80 farmers, and interviewed a group of elders who had lived and farmed in the area for more than 40 years. My research found that rural farmers in Gwanda had limited capacity to adapt to climate-related and illegal small-scale mining shocks. Poor governance of the natural environment in Gwanda is leading to food scarcity, and damage to water and land. It threatens to reverse development gains in these areas.
However, illegal small-scale mining has negatively affected these earning opportunities. The farmers I interviewed said they woke up in the morning to find their farmland and foraging areas had been dug up by miners, who worked at night to evade police. Livestock fell into mine pits and died, and local people were sometimes injured.My farm was encroached by the artisanal miners who believed that there is a lot of gold there.
Besides destroying the environment and damaging social capital, artisanal small-scale mining is only benefiting a few rural farmers (those politically connected to the ruling Zanu PF party. ADVERTISEMENT: CONTINUE READING BELOW Women are most affected Women in Gwanda told me that illegal small-scale miners had cut down mopane trees in the area.
Governance systems in Gwanda need to be strengthened. The Zimbabwean government must revisit the Mines and Minerals Act, which regulates how people and corporations go about getting mining rights, and make sure that the police monitor and restrict artisanal mining. Illegal miners must be apprehended and prevented from damaging communal land.
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