Government has revealed that 344 have been arrested across the country for alluvial mining and face stiff penalties of up to 12 months imprisonment and fines not less than US$5,000.

In August, government announced a ban on riverbed mining citing that it was disrupting the ecosystems and causing water pollution,

This immediate ban was followed by a recent gazette of Statutory Instrument 188 of 2024: Environmental Management (Control of Alluvial Mining) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No.3) which extended the ban to all permit holders.

During the post-cabinet briefing, Tuesday, the Minister of Lands Anxious Masuka said, "All alluvial mining has been banned by any holder of whatever paper or whatever permit, including special grants, because of the devastation of the rivers and associated ecosystems, and the degradation and the need to focus on rehabilitation."

Information Minister Jenfan Muswere added that the newly introduced Statutory Instrument will enforce strict penalties to violaters and 344 arrests countrywide so far.

"The ban on alluvial mining has been implemented and enforced throughout the country. The Statutory Instrument introduced stiffer penalties for offenders and allows for the seizure of minerals, machinery, equipment and vehicles. To date, a total of 344 arrests have been made across the country," he said.

"Following the directive by Cabinet on 20 August 2024, to ban riverbed mining, an Inter-Ministerial Committee, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development was set up to spearhead the enforcement of the afore-stated directive and to carry out a survey on the status of the river ecosystems and recommend more deterrent penalties for breach of the law."