When livelihoods take a battering...Mapping the 'New Gold Rush' in Zimbabwe's Angwa-Pote Basin

The paper analyses the gold panning saga in Zimbabwe’s mineral-rich Mashonaland West Province. It focuses on the Angwa-Pote Basin in the wake of the deteriorating economy and the land redistribution programme. Of particular interest are the ramifications of massive job losses in mining, commercial farming and urban areas on alluvial gold panning, which in many instances is the only resort for scores of embattled households. It is argued that traditional methods of checking the negative outcomes of gold panning have been rendered impotent. The discussion examines this fast evolving gold rush by positioning it within the wider national and local contexts. The contributing factors to the rise and persistence of this phenomenon are explained at length. Finally, the conclusion is made that if deeper insights into the new gold rush are to be gained more research is necessary.