HARARE — Allegations that a high-profile “Mazowe river rehabilitation” initiative in Mashonaland is masking gold extraction activities have intensified political tensions within ZANU PF, following leaked audio recordings of Permanent Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti and mounting scrutiny from environmental and mining observers.
At the centre of the controversy is the Mazowe Presidential Riverbed Rehabilitation Project, publicly presented as an environmental intervention to restore degraded sections of the Mazowe River. However, critics and analysts now allege that the project involves gold sluicing—an alluvial mining method commonly used by artisanal and small-scale miners to extract gold from riverbeds.
Gold sluicing entails washing gold-bearing sand and gravel through channels lined with coarse materials such as burlap sacks or netting. Through gravity separation, heavier gold particles settle and are trapped, while lighter sediment is washed away. The technique is widely practised along rivers in parts of Africa, Asia and South America, but is often criticised for its environmental impact, including riverbank erosion, siltation and water pollution when conducted without proper oversight.
The allegations have emerged amid visible factional tensions within the ruling party, with leaked voice recordings—circulating on social media platforms—purportedly discussing access to tenders and control of lucrative projects linked to presidential programmes. While the authenticity of the recordings has not been independently verified, their circulation has fuelled claims that commercial interests, rather than environmental rehabilitation, are driving activities along the Mazowe River.
Opposition figures and civil society groups say the claims warrant urgent investigation. They argue that if gold mining is taking place under the guise of a rehabilitation project, it raises serious questions about transparency, environmental compliance and the use of state authority to secure mining opportunities.
Ndanzwa audio ya Muguti achivavira Tungwarara. Angova marengenya pic.twitter.com/2vOWLxKrZ5
— Tanaka Zviripayi (@NhasiZviripayi) January 19, 2026
Environmental advocates have also warned that unregulated alluvial mining along the Mazowe River could worsen degradation in a catchment that is critical to agriculture and water supply for surrounding communities. “Any intervention in a river system must be guided by environmental impact assessments and strict monitoring,” said one Harare-based environmental expert. “Otherwise, the long-term costs will far outweigh any short-term gains.”
Government officials linked to the project have publicly maintained that the initiative is focused on river rehabilitation and flood control, and have denied allegations of illicit mining. They insist that any activities taking place are authorised and aimed at restoring the river’s ecological balance.
And so, while Mnangagwa and his so-called adviser claim they are “rehabilitating the Mazowe River,” what is actually taking place is called gold sluicing. Common in artisanal and small-scale mining, especially along rivers. Widely practiced in parts of Asia, and South America.… pic.twitter.com/prqmcpMCOE
— Bla B (@bla_bidza) January 19, 2026
The dispute has exposed broader fault lines within ZANU PF over access to state-linked projects and resources, particularly as competition intensifies ahead of key political transitions. Analysts say the Mazowe controversy reflects a recurring challenge in Zimbabwe’s governance landscape: the blurring of lines between public projects and private commercial interests.
Calls are now growing for Parliament, environmental regulators and the Ministry of Mines to conduct an independent inquiry into the Mazowe project to establish the facts, assess compliance with mining and environmental laws, and restore public confidence.
As scrutiny deepens, the outcome of the Mazowe dispute may prove significant—not only for local communities along the river, but also for how Zimbabwe manages transparency, natural resources and internal political accountability going forward.
