HARARE, March 6, (NewsDay Live) – The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has called on the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to reject a recent application by Chinese miner Sunny Yi Feng (Pvt) Ltd to conduct mining activities in the Hwange National Park’s Sinamatella area.
The proposed mining project targets the Sinamatella Black Rhino Intensive Protection Zone, a critical habitat for the endangered black rhino species.
In a statement Thursday, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo, said the mining project would pose a serious threat to the black rhino population.
Hwange residents have also raised similar concerns.
“Needless to mention that the proposed mining project will actually increase the risk of species extinction and prospects of population recovery will be negatively affected,” Farawo said.
“The proposed mining project poses a significant threat, worsening the degradation of land, a critical concern for ZimParks, which has a mandate to ensure that at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland water and ecosystems are restored by 2030,” he said, adding that any mining activity in the area would tarnish the image of Zimbabwe in terms of sustainable conservation.
“Approving mining in this zone would not only contradict ZimParks' conservation mandate but also tarnish Zimbabwe's reputation regionally and internationally as a world leader in sustainable conservation,” Farawo said.
“It is important to note that tourism is a major revenue generator for the country and our operations significantly rely on the revenue generated from tourism through leased concessions, thus, any mining operations introduced could adversely affect our ability to deliver quality experiences for tourists.”
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Hwange National Park is home to Africa's second-largest elephant herd and prides itself in safeguarding other critical wildlife species.
