Pandemic spurs illegal gold rush in Zimbabwe mountains
FARAI SHAWN MATIASHE KNOWN for their rugged ranges, grassy plains and forest waterfalls, the Chimanimani mountains in eastern Zimbabwe have long been a popular destination for tourists - and gold miners hoping to strike it rich. Travel restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 have kept the tourists away, although some attractions reopened last month. But illegal mining has surged as miners take advantage of the lack of visitors, leaving a trail of environmental destruction in their wake, say researchers and activists. "The waters are being polluted; the biodiversity poisoned; endemic plants dug up (and) trampled; animals and birds poached;…