In Northern Mutoko, heavy machinery hums across the area, their dust from granite mining thickening the air.
While the region produces a unique black granite worth millions of dollars on the international market, Mutoko is left choking.
The dusty road networks into Mutoko North tell a different yet striking story. Poverty is rife among local communities, despite the area's rich granite deposits.
Frustrations are palpable as community members bemoan the challenges they face, while companies mine millions of dollars from the area.
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"Some of these mining companies refuse to engage in discussion with us when we, as a community, summon them. What they promise us when they initially arrive, they do not fulfil.
"They may install water facilities at their sites, but they ignore the broader community," said Maybe Mushamba.
According to estimates, more than 150,000 tonnes of black granite leave Zimbabwe annually.
SouthAfrica newsThe black granite is unique on the international market, second only to that found in India.
Once cut, the stone is used for building, tiles, and erecting tombstones.
However, the communities feel few of the immediate benefits of this special stone, with companies extracting far more than they invest back into the Mutoko area.
Women and children are bearing the brunt of the granite extraction, having to navigate long distances to access water, education, and health services.
"When they have finished extracting, they leave trenches which become hazardous to children and young women," said Anna Nyamakope.
Mutoko North Ward 5 is surrounded by a number of mining companies. ZIQ, CRG, Dragon, Zhengeshen, Quarrying Enterprise, and Jindin are some of the enterprises operating in the area.
Despite a plethora of these mining entities in the area, Mutoko is reeling from poverty, with few basic services available to the communities.
Several companies in the area are erecting buildings for the processing of granite - a sign of value addition, but with little benefit trickling down to the average person in the community.
When NewZimbabwe.com visited Mutoko North, pothole-infested roads and dilapidated schools without modern tools told a story of a community that is struggling, yet rich with precious stones.
The situation is worsened by the blasting of quarries, which sends tremors around the area, affecting houses and the environment.
An official at Dragon Granite Mining, who spoke to NewZimbabwe.com on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to the media by the company, said the entity is inundated with the demands of the community.
Zimbabwebusiness news"You have to bear with us as well. You cannot have one company doing everything at the moment, especially when all the other companies have closed their doors for now. We will try to help where we can," said the official.
Granite mining a danger to the environment and society
Companies are reportedly not honouring the Environmental Impact Assessment, which outlines the impact the project may have on the environment, society, and the economy of the area in which they are operating.
With the assistance of a non-governmental organisation, the Rural Young Women Support Network (RYWSN), communities have petitioned the District Development Coordinator in the Ministry of Local Government for assistance in addressing the environmental challenges bedevilling the community as a result of mining activities.
In the letter, they argue that the gullies left by mining companies have become death traps for the community, as the entities leave uncovered pits after extracting granite.
"The most pressing issue is the abandonment of open quarries by some miners. These pits, often filled with water, have turned into death traps for children and animals; drowning incidents and mosquito breeding are real threats to our communities' health and safety. The situation needs urgent intervention," read the letter.
Mutoko Ward 5 local council secretary, Jeffet Mafemera, told NewZimbabwe.com that the fulfilment of promises by mining companies depends on them generating profits.
"Some of these promises are slow to be implemented by the company because it is part of social responsibility. You know how the country is economically.
"Sometimes the company faces financial challenges in implementing the promises. When the companies generate money, they come and give something to the community," said Mafemera.
Policy gaps on mining companies to remit profits to the communities.
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In Zimbabwe, there are no laws compelling mining companies to invest back into the areas in which they operate.
This has left the closest thing to ploughing back into communities as social responsibility, which is at the discretion of the mining entities.
Last year, during the presentation of the budget in the National Assembly, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube, ordered mining companies to honour a 2% CSR levy.
"I propose to introduce a Corporate Social Responsibility Levy on coal at a rate of 2%, consistent with the treatment of lithium, granite, and quarry stones, with effect from 1 January 2026," said Ncube.
However, ordinary residents in Mutoko North, such as Mushamba and Nyamakope, are yet to experience the impact of CSR in the community, with mining companies milking every dollar from the granite.
"From the gullies they leave, they should at least turn them into fishing points so that we women in the community can generate income. Another thing is that the mining companies are no longer taking our children into their companies. They bring their own workforce, which benefits them, while our children are only reserved for menial work as general hands," said Nyamakope.
