By ZiMining Reporter
PRESSURE is mounting on the Zimbabwean government to block a bid by Chinese company Sunny Fe Yeng Pvt Ltd to mine coal in the Bambusi-Sinamatela area of Hwange, with conservationists, cultural heritage activists, and local communities warning of severe environmental and socio-economic consequences.
Sunny Yi Feng (Private) Limited, founded in 2018, is recognised for its manufacturing plant that produces ceramic and porcelain tiles in Norton, close to Harare. The company has submitted an application for an Exclusive Prospecting Order (EPO) in Hwange, as outlined in General Notice 82 of 2025.
The company has sought a special mining grant in Matabeleland North, an area that already hosts major coal players like Hwange Colliery and Zambezi Coal and Gas. However, critics contend that issuing the licence could jeopardise Hwange National Park, an essential wildlife sanctuary, as well as Bumbusi National Monument, an archaeological site from the 18th century that showcases pre-colonial rock carvings.
“The proposed mining activities would disrupt the tourism industry, undermine the park’s integrity, and threaten its role as a sanctuary for nature and sustainable tourism,” said the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) in a statement. “Archaeological sites such as the Bambusi Ruins, which are vital to Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage and history, risk being vandalised.”
Hwange National Park boasts one of the largest elephant populations in Africa and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, such as buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, and various antelope species. Conservationists contend that mining activities in the region could irreparably harm delicate ecosystems and result in job losses within the tourism industry.
A University of Zimbabwe archaeologist, Professor Plan Shenjere Nyabezi, strongly condemned the mining bid. “No mining, of whatever scale or value, should be allowed in Hwange National Park, particularly in the Sinamatela area, because of its unique and non-renewable biodiversity, archaeological, and cultural heritage importance,” he said.
CNRG has called on the government to finalise amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act and to maintain its 2020 ban on mining in wildlife parks and game reserves. The organisation has also urged the Mining Affairs Board to reject Sunny Fe Yeng’s application in order to safeguard Zimbabwe’s ecosystems, cultural heritage, and sustainable tourism industry.
While government authorities have yet to make a final decision on the application, conservationists and local stakeholders argue that permitting mining in Hwange’s protected areas would create a troubling precedent for future resource exploitation in ecologically sensitive regions.
