Zimbabwe's government on Tuesday banned all mining in national parks, one day after environmental rights lawyers went to court to bar a Chinese firm from exploring for coal in the country's biggest game reserve.

Authorities in Zimbabwe had previously granted Chinese-owned Tongmao Coal Company a licence to explore for coal in Hwange National Park, home to around 45,000 elephants and thousands of other species including the black rhinoceros.

The Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association (ZELA) filed an application to the High Court on Monday, claiming that allowing mining in a "protected national park is a breach of the constitutional duty to prevent ecological degradation and promote conservation".

The government back-tracked on Tuesday and banned all mining in national parks with "immediate effect", according to a post-meeting briefing note.

"Steps are being undertaken to immediately cancel all mining title(s) held in national parks."

ZELA had warned that Hwange -- a popular tourist magnet -- would soon "become a site for drilling, land clearance, road building and geological surveys" if coal exploration went ahead.

"Concomitantly, there is acute risk of irreversible ecological degradation including unmitigated loss of animal and vegetative species, reduction of animal habitats of many rare species including black rhino, pangolin, elephant and wild dogs," they added.

The lawyers also feared the prospecting would ruin safari tourism, a key source of income for locals.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Mouse to go: Rodent kebabs fill empty stomachs in virus-hit Malawi
Lilongwe, Malawi (AFP) Sept 4, 2020
A popular snack when food is bountiful, mice have become a vital source of protein in Malawi since the coronavirus outbreak aggravated food shortages and economic hardship. Vendors waving long skewers of roasted field mice typically stand along Malawi's main highway, targeting motorists travelling between the two largest cities, Blantyre and Lilongwe. Seasoned and cooked to a crisp, mice are also sold at street stalls and markets across the southeast African country. But these salty roadsid ... read more