Illegal Miners Tear Through US$26 Million Shurugwi Housing Dream
SHURUGWI – Construction of over 3,000 homes under a US$26 million housing scheme in Impali Suburb has ground to a halt due to rampant illegal mining.
Artisanal miners have tunneled beneath developed stands, causing severe structural damage to roads, drainage systems, and water and sewer infrastructure.
The housing project, launched in 2022, is being developed by five companies:
Unki Mine (US$17 million), Mining Industry Pension Fund (US$2.8 million), Sheasham Investments (US$1.2 million), CGM Construction (US$1.6 million), and Masimba Holdings, whose investment remains undisclosed.
All developers except Masimba Holdings have reported disruptions caused by underground mining.
Shurugwi Town Secretary Archibald Ncube, who led journalists through the affected sites last Thursday, said the damage is extensive and threatens the viability of the entire scheme.
“Engaging the agency comes at a cost but we must do it. Project timelines and targets were not met due to these anthropogenic factors,” said Ncube, referring to the Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency, which has been hired to assess the damage.
The worst-hit area is the Mining Industry Pension Fund’s development, which includes 197 standard residential stands, 310 medium- to low-density plots, and 113 large stands measuring 2,000 square metres.
Ncube warned that the land is becoming “undevelopable and costly to rehabilitate,” with some roads visibly collapsing and underground pits stretching over 30 metres.
Unki Mine has made the most progress, having completed 365 duplex flats and nearly 100 detached houses for its employees.
A school has also been built in the area. Sheasham Investments serviced 432 stands, while CGM Construction is working on 602.
Masimba Holdings is developing 500 low-density stands, but has not reported interference from miners.
According to The Mirror, the Impali housing scheme is one of Shurugwi Town Council’s flagship developments.
However, the council now faces a critical decision: whether to continue construction or abandon some stands altogether.
Shurugwi Housing Director Fortune Marevesa said the council has begun legal action to drive out the illegal miners disrupting the project.
“We have engaged the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development over the illegal miners. The pits run horizontally underground and we can only have a way forward after the agency completes its assessment,” said Marevesa.
He added that in the most severe cases, the council has turned to the courts.
“On extreme cases we have resorted to litigation through evoking summons to the offenders.”
Some of the affected areas include buffer zones, recreational facilities, cluster homes, townhouses, and planned shopping malls.
The situation mirrors the 2023 collapse of a classroom at Globe and Phoenix Primary School in Kwekwe, which was decommissioned due to underground mining-induced instability.
According to The Mirror, efforts to obtain comment from Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando were unsuccessful.
