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

The following could be expected to have an impact on water resources:
• Landfills, urban areas of Nyamapanda and Nyanga;
• Disposal of liquid effluent, urban areas of Nyamapanda and Nyanga;
• Urban run off, urban areas of Nyamapanda and Nyanga;
• Non-point domestic effluent, rural areas;
• Non-point impact of agriculture (pesticides, fertilizers, etc), especially where commercial agriculture is
practiced;
• Non-point impact of irrigation in redistribution of river waters; and
• Minor non-point impact from sparse, subsistence agriculture in the northeast.
3.38.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
The catchment falls under the Harare Mining District (ZGS, 1995). The main mining activities are alluvial gold
production, nickel mining, dolerite quarrying and pegmatite mining.
Table 3.39: Mining operations in the Ruenya sub-catchment.
Name Commodity Status Total produced
/t
Mutoko "Black Granite" Dolerite Medium
Good Days Beryl Closed 1970 315.9 Low
Jordywitt Beryl Closed 1960 105.2 Low
Inyati Copper Closed 69496.0 High
Inyati Silver Closed 10.8 Medium
Inyati Gold Closed Medium
Gray Talc Closed 1976 2554.8 Low
Matedza (Jeep) Talc Closed 1973 1971.8 Low
Takagara Talc Closed 1976 1816.8 Low
See ZGS (1988a) for locations.
There is exploration for beryl, silver, gold, tantalum and base metals (ZGS, 2001).
3.38.3 Alluvial mining
cciv
Potential Impact
Alluvial mining of gold takes place in the Ruenya River (Figure 3.14; Chiyanike, 1997). It may also take place in
the Mudzi River.