EnviroPress

08/08/2026

Villagers displaced from Nuanetsi Ranch and resettled in Masangula, Ward 13 of Mwenezi East, to pave way for investors are grappling with a worsening water crisis that has severely disrupted family life and threatened local livestock.
A few boreholes that still yield water are now stretched beyond capacity, serving far more people than they did a year ago when conditions were normal. The affected villages—including Maluleke, Njavani, Matutu, and Chimuti—all depend on a single functional borehole for both domestic and agricultural needs.

https://enviropresszim.com/displaced-mwenezi-families-face-fresh-hardship-amid-water-shortage/

03/08/2026

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗿: 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

A comprehensive investigation by EnviroPress Zimbabwe reveals that communities in the lithium-rich districts of Bikita and Mberengwa bear a heavy cost of exploitation, displacement, and systematic exclusion.
The research documents – the Bikita-Mberengwa Lithium Extraction Public Perception Survey Report and the Zimbabwe Transitional Minerals Governance Framework Report – reveal a pattern of “crass extractivism” which refers to resource extraction carried out with little to no regard for environmental sustainability, public accountability, or local community development.

https://humfoz.org/2026/08/03/on-the-green-altar-lithium-boom-sacrifices-locals-for-global-energy-transition/

30/07/2026

The draft Climate Change Reporting Manual prepared by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) will assist in guiding journalists to authoritatively report on climate change in an era of increased misinformation and disinformation.

ZMC Executive Secretary Godwin Phiri By Moses Ziyambi The draft Climate Change Reporting Manual prepared by the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) will assist in guiding journalists to authoritatively report on climate change in an era of increased misinformation and disinformation, stakeholders have s...

28/07/2026

💔 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

A family's attempt to stop domestic violence ended in another murder.

Godfrey Romberai was killed allegedly by his brother-in-law, Wilbert Rice (43), after responding to a distress call from his sister, who sought help during a violent altercation with her husband in Chivi. His death comes as another report highlights a worrying rise in gender-based violence cases in the district.

Behind every statistic is a family left grieving.

Communities, leaders and institutions continue to face difficult questions about preventing domestic violence before it turns fatal.

https://enviropresszim.com/man-killed-while-intervening-in-sisters-domestic-dispute/

22/07/2026

Despite an outright government ban on riverbed mining, illegal gold miners continue on local waterways, with devastating consequences for river systems.
In Chivi, illegal gold mining activities are being carried out along tributaries that feed into the Tende River.
Under Statutory Instrument 188 of 2024, all riverbed and alluvial mining is banned, even for those with special grants or existing EIAs.
At Chasiyatende Business Centre, miners continue to dump chemically-contaminated wastewater into the environment, endangering surrounding communities, livestock, and wildlife.
Despite recent inspections and fines issued by the Masvingo provincial mining directorate, illegal operations persist unchecked.

By EnviroPress Reporter Illegal gold mining in Ward 23 of Chivi South has reached alarming levels, with miners now panning gold from small streams that feed into the Tende River. This is occurring despite a government ban on riverbed mining, raising serious concerns about regulatory enforcement and....

17/07/2026

When a community abandons its traditional conservation practices, rapid environmental degradation follows. This happened in Mutonhori Village, Zaka district, where a vital wetland feeding into major river systems all the way to the Indian Ocean got severely degraded.
Historically, villagers listened for the sounds of mermaid spirits moving through sacred pools, signaling time for traditional rain-making ceremonies. Cutting down indigenous trees, farming riverbanks, and polluting the water were strictly forbidden by traditional elders.
But as respect for customary rules weakened, the gully expanded rapidly, threatening local infrastructure and choking downstream rivers with sand.
Recognizing the urgency, the Mutirikwi Sub-Catchment Council stepped in and partnered with community women for restoration work, and the land began to recover.

The Chenyu River flowing through Mutonhori Village. After listening to stories of women’s stewardship of freshwater resources in Uganda and Tanzania, the CuratEast team continued its journey to Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province. Our destination was Mutonhori Village, home to the Kubvoruno Gully, a pr...

16/07/2026

A nursing mother, Mercy Pfidze is now in jail with her baby for killing her husband Zangirayi Matiza during a fight. In another case, Pedzisai Jera allegedly killed his wife, Chipo Mudhovozi, during a domestic dispute. These cases highlight the tragedy of GBV and its devastating impact on families and the affected children's prospects in life.

Assistant Commissioner Matilda Singende By Trymore Tagwirei Gender-Based Violence (GBV) continues to devastate families in Chivi district, with community leaders and police raising the alarm over a surge in domestic violence cases that have claimed lives, orphaned children, and left many victims suf...

14/07/2026

"Victoria High School perimeter wall looks older than the Great Zimbabwe Monuments."
These are the sentiments of some parents with children at the school. They complain that the 'durawall', which was built just over six years ago at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, is substandard. Two years after construction was completed, a whole section of the wall collapsed and had to be redone. The parents called for stricter quality assurance measures in awarding tenders for public works.

11/07/2026

We capped our week with a visit to Bikita Minerals where we shared with the mine management our research document: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗸𝗶𝘁𝗮-𝗠𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘄𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁.
The document was presented to Deputy General Manager Li Rui (out of the picture), HR and Admin Manager Hilton Chimura (3rd from left), and PR Assistant Russel Chibwe (right).
A link to the document, as well as our other research document, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘄𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, can be accessed in the Dropbox link provided in the comments section.
Collectively, the research documents add upon a body of empiricism on community experiences of lithium mining which is vital for policy change advocacy.

𝑇𝘩𝑒 𝑟𝘦𝑠𝘦𝑎𝘳𝑐𝘩 𝘸𝑎𝘴 𝘤𝑜𝘯𝑑𝘶𝑐𝘵𝑒𝘥 𝘸𝑖𝘵ℎ 𝑠𝘶𝑝𝘱𝑜𝘳𝑡 𝑓𝘳𝑜𝘮 Southern Africa Trust.

08/07/2026

Zimbabwe has had laws banning thin plastic packaging and polystyrene since 2010, yet plastic waste has grown by 50 000 tonnes since then. Why?
Our latest investigation reveals a massive enforcement gap by the country's environmental authorities, uncorrected legal errors, and draft regulations that have been gathering dust for over a decade while corporate recovery remains entirely voluntary.
Read the full investigation into how policy delays and a lack of enforcement have left Zimbabwe’s cities and environment bearing the burden of a deepening waste crisis.

Zimbabwe has had laws banning thin plastic packaging and polystyrene containers since 2010, but plastic waste has grown by 50 000 tonnes in that time. By Macdonald Mudzaki Of the estimated 1.6 billion plastic containers placed on Zimbabwe’s market every year, only 7.1% is formally recovered, accor...