Wolf Pass in 2019

This is the beautiful Wolf Pass, which runs through mountains near Shurugwi, in Zimbabwe. The hillsides, forests, and rivers are spectacular, providing a home for wildlife and a destination for tourists.

Shurugwi

Shurugwi is known for its agricultural industry and is a popular with tourists. There is a primary school and a maternity hospital here in the middle of town.

Before open-cast mining

These satellite images are taken from Google Earth, and show the area as it looked seven years ago. .

False colour imagery
Using images from the Sentinel-2 satellite, we can view the area in "false colour", which allows us to track vegetation cover over time. Healthy forests appear bright red, making it easier to spot areas cleared or degraded by mining operations.

2021
The start of significant environmental change
This year, Chenxi Investments begins open-cast mining. Most vegetation still remains, but early construction and access roads appear near Wolf Pass and the town.

2022
Vegetation clearing begins
Deforestation is visible. Construction zones expand west of Wolf Pass road, as the first mining pits and heap leaching areas are developed. Indigenous forests are being levelled.

2023
Surface mining expands
Rapid expansion of surface mining. A second site appears northeast of the town, and the cleared area now visibly stretches across hillsides. Rivers and streams show early signs of sedimentation.

2024
Major excavation along Wolf Pass
Locals complain that Dunraven Falls, a famous waterfall which spiritual leaders and tourists use, are drying up as a result of the new mines.

2025
Destruction at all costs
The mining corridor now stretches 12km, leaving a stark scar across Shurugwi. A sink hole appears near the hospital, and surrounding settlements experience subsidence. Rivers, forests, and ancestral lands are destroyed, showing the full scale of environmental impact and social disruption.