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

In the Botswana sector of the sub-catchment, land use is primarily some commercial farming of livestock and
small irrigation areas along the rivers, with game ranching in drier areas. Most livestock are goats and donkeys.
Several settlements and towns are located in this area, as well as a number of mining operations.
4.5.1.4 Surface water users
Maphisa draws water from Gulameta Dam on the Shashani. Irrigation by commercial agriculture uses water
from Ingwezi Dam in the west.
4.5.1.5 Water management systems
In Zimbabwe, the sub-catchment falls under the Mzingwane Catchment Council of ZINWA. In Botswana, the
sub-catchment falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Water in the Ministry of Mineral and Energy
Affairs. Routine flow gauging is carried out at one station on the Shashe River in Botswana, though the flow
record is incomplete.
4.5.1.6 Human impacts on water resources (excluding mining)
The following could be expected to have an impact on water resources:
• Landfills, Kezi and Maphisa in Zimbabwe, and Francistown, Sebina and Tonotha-Shashe in Botswana;
• Disposal of liquid effluent, Kezi and Maphisa in Zimbabwe, and Francistown, Tonotha-Shashe in Botswana;
• Non-point domestic effluent in rural areas;
• Non-point impact of irrigation and redistribution of river waters in the west;
• Minor non-point impact from non-intensive commercial or subsistence agriculture; and
• Fuel loss and litter on the roads to Ngwesi, Maphisa and St Joseph’s in Zimbabwe, and between the border
at Plumtree and Francistown in Botswana.
4.5.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
In Botswana, most mining is associated with the mineralised Greenstone belts, with copper, gold and nickel the
most important commodities mined (Table 4.6).
The Zimbabwe portion of the sub-catchment falls mainly under the Bulawayo Mining District (ZGS, 1995). The
main mining activity is gold mining in the western part of the Gwanda Greenstone Belt (Table 4.7) and
previously in the Lower Gwanda Greenstone Belt. Asbestos, copper, nickel, pyrite and tungsten have also been
mined (Tyndale-Biscoe, 1940). Several centuries ago, extensive gold mining took place in the Gwanda
Greenstone Belt, in places over 70m deep (Tyndale-Biscoe, 1940), although the exact date has not been
determined.
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