Brenna Matendere
Mazowe—The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s subsidiary, Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR), is reportedly buying gold from illegal miners operating inside the polluted Mazowe River.
FGR has reportedly resorted to purchasing “toasted” gold—processed using mercury—from artisanal miners whose activities are contaminating ecosystems and posing serious health risks.
During Zimbabwe’s hyperinflationary era that peaked in 2008, RBZ was outed for buying foreign currency on the black market.
The miners use mercury in the Mazowe River to bind with gold, forming an amalgam that is later heated, leaving behind a toasted nugget or powder.
In a previous investigation supported by the Information for Development Trust (IDT), it was revealed that mercury used by illegal miners flows through irrigation canals, accumulating in farmland soils.
This contamination seeps into crops and eventually enters food markets in greater Harare and beyond, exposing thousands of consumers to toxic substances.
A follow-up investigation has now established that, despite these findings, agents appointed by FGR are openly buying the processed gold along the Mazowe River.
Takashinga Moyo, an artisanal miner operating along the river near Lowdale Farm, said FGR buyers arrive in all-terrain vehicles and camp at a nearby residential compound before purchasing gold.
“They do not ask questions. They just weigh the gold you bring and pay cash. The artisanal miners here are very excited about the arrangement because it reduces the risk of getting arrested if we were going to travel to town and try sell our gold there to some barons,” he said.
Moyo spoke from a gold-washing site inside the river.
Another miner, Tonderai Matanha, said the practice has become so normalised that it no longer raises concern.
“The biggest advantage in that arrangement is that no papers are demanded to see if we are mining lawfully and licensed. Therefore, we are happy with that arrangement,” said Marvelous Nyoni, another artisanal miner operating in the Mazowe River.
Ordinarily, gold sellers are required to provide identity documents and phone numbers, register with FGR or a licensed agent, and meet specific quantity and quality standards.
Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Natural Resources Governance, said it was unacceptable for FGR to be associated with illegal mining activities.
“This is why the mining sector needs to be properly regulated through a whole-of-government approach. It doesn’t help for Fidelity to earn a few millions of dollars at a great ecological cost to current and future generations. The social and environmental cost of mining in Mazowe River and its surroundings far outweigh the supposed benefits,” he said.
James Mupfumi, director of the Centre for Research and Development, also criticised the arrangement.
“It is in violation of its FGR responsible sourcing and supply management policy for conflict free outsourcing and due diligence. But the challenge comes in the failure by government to amend the Gold Trade Act to combat smuggling. So at the present moment even if Fidelity doesn’t buy that gold, it will still find ways into the black market because there is no political will to end illegal mining let alone combat illicit flows by government,” he said.
Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZIDAMWU) general secretary Justice Chinhema said the union opposed the practice.
“As a trade union representing workers in the mining value chain, we cannot support any practice that trades short-term profits for poisoned rivers and sick communities.
“Our position is that every ounce of gold bought by official entities must be traceable, responsibly produced and compliant with environmental and labour standards.
“We therefore call on Fidelity and the relevant authorities to urgently review their sourcing practices along the Mazowe River, stop buying from polluting operations, and work with unions, artisanal miners and communities to build a formal, safe and environmentally sustainable small-scale mining sector,” he said.
Questions were sent to RBZ spokesperson Tinashe Farawo, but no response was received despite repeated follow-ups. The RBZ wholly owns FGR.
Wellington Takavarasha, chief executive of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, initially promised to respond to written questions but failed to do so.
Earlier investigations established that illegal gold mining along the Mazowe River is no longer confined to the banks. In several locations, hundreds of illegal miners—commonly known as makorokoza—operate directly inside the river channel.
At these sites, mercury and cyanide are used openly in extraction processes locally known as sherengete or bhakabhaka. Ore is washed directly in the river, releasing mercury into flowing water that feeds downstream irrigation systems.
Mercury use is banned under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which aims to protect human health and the environment.
Produce from these irrigation systems supplies the Grain Marketing Board with maize and feeds both formal and informal markets, reaching hundreds of households. The affected areas are home to more than three million people, meaning thousands are regularly exposed through the food chain.
The Mazowe River has increasingly become a processing site for both illegal and semi-industrial gold extraction.
Alongside artisanal miners, Chinese-owned and subcontracted mining companies operate claims near the river using cyanide for ore processing. Unlike mercury, which is typically used by small-scale miners, cyanide is employed in more industrial methods—but its disposal presents equally serious risks.
Investigations found multiple instances where slime dumps—the residue of cyanide processing—were placed dangerously close to the river, in some cases within 15 to 20 metres.
At Lowdale, Alpes Mine subcontracted Chinese operators to mine gold on a claim about 50 metres from the river. Slime dumps were positioned downslope, separated from the river only by a perimeter fence.
During rainfall, runoff carries cyanide-laced waste directly into the river. Observations revealed no lined containment facilities or effective barriers to prevent seepage.
The risk intensifies during the rainy season, when floodwaters spread pollutants over a wider area and into irrigation channels.