KEY POINTS
- Zimbabwe Mining Indaba emphasizes pro-poor initiatives to reduce poverty.
- Call for finalizing mining policies to benefit resource-rich communities.
- Foreign miners urged to comply with environmental standards.
More than 300 delegates participated in Zimbabwe’s annual Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI), which took place over the weekend in Bulawayo. The limited participant comprised of small-scale miners, civil society organizations (CSOs), faith-based organizations and community leaders from the mining affected areas.
Regarding poor absented communities, participants called for pro- poor policies and for more and better reforms in the mining industry.
Indaba also provided a forum for assessing mining policies with ZAMI stakeholders insisting that programs like the Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Strategy and Minerals Development Policy should be concluded.
Particular emphasis was placed on improving value addition, compliance with beneficiation measures, and the Mineral Trade Act all together with Gold Trade Act as well as amendment Mines and Minerals Act.
Zandile Mvududu, projects coordinator at Silveira House said that specific policy is important to bring more focus towards implementing policy in right way for the economic growth and distribution for the mining products across all the classes.
She underlined that such steps are needed to make sure that communities receive positive impacts from natural resources in Zimbabwe.
Giving a voice to affected communities
Margaret Mutsamvi, Executive Director of the Economic Justice for Women’s Project (EJWP), praised ZAMI for opening up dialogue in a sector often shielded from public scrutiny.
She noted that the event allows community members from mining-affected areas to share firsthand experiences of living near extraction sites, which are frequently controlled by politically powerful interests.
“This platform brings voices from marginalized communities to the forefront,” Mutsamvi said, adding that ZAMI provides a space where stakeholders can discuss the challenges facing young women and small-scale miners involved in the sector.
According to New Zimbabwe, the Indaba revealed pressing issues surrounding economic and social impacts, emphasizing the need for mining to serve as a tool for community upliftment rather than exacerbating inequality.
Addressing foreign miners’ role and local empowerment
The realised concerns from the community include foreign mining entities whereby most of the companies came from China investing in Zimbabwe.
Chisambiro Village Head and Zanu-PF Ward 18 Councillor, Micah Chisambiro, highlighted ongoing issues with undocumented foreign miners who operate without proper Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
Furthermore, he argued that this practice undermines environmental and social protections.
Chisambiro noted that mostly foreign operators are often reluctant to engage efforts from local leaders hence no meaningful dialogue is achieved.
However, he said that through event such as ZAMI, with support from other players such as Silveira House, communities have been able to demand accountability and bargain better with these firms.
“Platforms like these empower locals to address unregulated mining practices and ensure more sustainable management of resources,” he said.
