OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

Land use comprises the Siabuwa, Omay, Kana and Gokwe Communal Lands and Parks & Wildlife Land and
Forestry Commission Land44 (ZSG, 1998). Such farming as takes place in the north is limited to livestock
production (especially goats) and a few drought resistant crops, with more croppage in the Gokwe and Kana
Communal Lands. The Zambezi Valley is sparsely populated, but the Rutope Valley is more densely settled.
The largest settlement is Siabuhwa Village.
3.27.1.4 Surface water users
There is some consumption of water for small-scale agriculture in the Communal Lands. The other use is
tourism on Lake Kariba: boating, fishing and game viewing.
3.27.1.5 Water management systems
The area falls under the Sanyati Catchment Council of ZINWA.
3.27.1.6 Human impacts on water resources (excluding mining)
The following could be expected to have an impact on water resources:
• Non-point domestic effluent, rural areas;
• Minor non-point impact from sparse, subsistence agriculture in Communal lands;
• Fuel loss and litter on the main road from Gokwe to Sengwa Colliery;
• Litter and fuel loss from boating, Lake Kariba.
3.27.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
The catchment falls under the Bulawayo, Harare and Gweru Mining Districts (ZGS, 1995). There are limited
coal resources in the area.
Table 3.27: Mining operations in the Sengwa sub-catchment.
Name Commodity Status Total produced /t Potential Impact
Sengwa Coal Closed some in late 1980s Medium
See ZGS (1988a) for location.
44 Chizarira National Park, Chirisa Safari Area and Mafungabusi Forest Land
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