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Pandemic spurs illegal gold rush in Zimbabwe mountains

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;…
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