HARARE – Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda has rejected a proposal to conduct coal mining within Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, emphasizing the availability of alternative coal-rich areas elsewhere in the country.
A Chinese company, Sunny Yi Feng, recently submitted an application for an Exclusive Prospecting Order in the Matabeleland North mining district, specifically targeting the Sinamatella area within Hwange National Park.
In his opposition, Mudenda suggested that the Chinese tile manufacturer should consider alternative locations for coal mining.
“I will not support mining in national parks. The area identified for mining is not the only place where coal can be found,” said Mudenda while addressing an induction workshop for members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Tourism held recently.
“We have coal deposits in the southern part of Binga, as well as in the southeast and southwest of Binga—virgin land with abundant coal reserves. Why disturb the delicate ecology of the animals there?”
The proposal to mine coal inside Hwange National Park has also been met with opposition from the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks).
“ZimParks urges the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to cancel the application for exclusive prospecting rights in Hwange National Park, particularly in the Sinamatella Black Rhino Intensive Protection Zone. We implore the ministry never to entertain such applications in the future,” ZimParks said.
The authority also highlighted the environmental risks of the proposed mining project, warning that it would exacerbate land degradation, a key concern for ZimParks, which is tasked with restoring at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and ecosystems by 2030.
“The proposed mining project poses a significant threat to the environment and worsens land degradation,” ZimParks added in a statement issued last week.
