Illegal gold mining threatens Inyathi hospital

Published: 51 mins ago

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has sounded the alarm over illegal gold mining activities taking place directly beneath Inyathi District Hospital, warning that the facility's infrastructure faces a real risk of collapse if the mining is not urgently stopped.

The shocking discovery was made during the committee's ongoing verification visits to rural health centres across Zimbabwe, aimed at assessing the state of infrastructure, equipment, and drug availability. The tour is being led by Hon. Daniel Molokele, on behalf of committee chairperson Hon. Dr. Thokozani Khupe.

Molokele said the team was "shocked" to learn that artisanal miners (amakorokoza) had extended their tunnels under the hospital premises.

"One of the things that we found at Inyathi District Hospital is that amakorokoza are now doing their gold mining right under the hospital," said Molokele. "They used to do it outside, but now they have gone beneath the facility. There is a real risk that the infrastructure might collapse because of the underground pressure. This is lawlessness that the government urgently needs to address."

He added that the situation reflects deeper governance and enforcement challenges in mining communities, where unregulated operations continue to endanger lives and the environment.

"Most of the cases that patients come with are physical wounds — largely injuries from violent clashes among the amakorokoza," he said. "There's a lot of violence happening there, and it is putting a heavy burden on an already under-resourced hospital."

The committee began its tour on Monday in Inyathi before proceeding to Avoca in Insiza District (Matabeleland South), Gundura in Masvingo, and Mutiusinazita in Buhera (Manicaland). The findings from these visits will form part of a comprehensive parliamentary report to be debated in the National Assembly, with recommendations to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance for inclusion in the upcoming national budget.

"We will produce a report that will have clear recommendations," said Molokele. "The National Assembly will debate it, and the Minister of Health will use it to engage the Minister of Finance, especially in the upcoming budget process. We are hoping for a renewed focus on rural healthcare centres, which have been neglected and underfunded for many years."

Molokele noted that despite limited time and resources, the verification exercise aims to inspect at least one rural health facility per province.

The committee's findings highlight the growing crisis in rural health infrastructure, where hospitals are grappling with drug shortages, outdated equipment, and dilapidated buildings. The situation in Inyathi, however, presents an unprecedented challenge — where illegal mining activities are not only undermining livelihoods but also physically endangering public institutions built to save lives.
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