The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has raised the alarm over a surge in illegal chrome mining operations, describing the growing trend as a “new cancer” within the country’s mining industry.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe’s annual general meeting, ZMF President Henrietta Rushwaya condemned the illicit activities, which she said typically occur under the cover of darkness and are often funded by foreign backers.
Rushwaya warned that these nighttime mining syndicates are tarnishing the reputation of legitimate small-scale miners and destabilising local communities.
“It is disheartening that we, the genuine small-scale miners, continue to be wrongly branded as illegal operators, while organised syndicates are taking over our claims at night,” she said. “These are not ordinary illegal miners—they are criminal entrepreneurs who exploit loopholes in the system, destroy the land, and threaten our livelihoods.”
She added that these operations typically bring in trucks and heavy machinery under the cloak of night, inflicting considerable environmental damage before daybreak.
To address the problem, Rushwaya called on authorities to allow the ZMF to publicly identify those responsible, arguing that naming and shaming offenders could serve as a deterrent and prompt stricter enforcement by relevant agencies.
“ZMF is appealing to the minister to grant us permission to name and shame these illegal miners, who have not only hijacked our identity but have also contributed significantly to environmental degradation,” she said.
