Extractive Industries (Mining) Programme

The Extractive Industries Programme is anchored on research, advocacy, litigation and awareness raining activities with particular focus on the mining sector in Zimbabwe. The country is endowed with vast mineral resources such as platinum, diamonds, gold, coal, nickel, chrome and copper among many others. However, the sad reality is that while mining operations have negative impacts on the environment and the lives of rural communities, the sector has not yet meaningfully contributed to community development in many mining districts. Most of minerals are extracted for export by multinational and private local or state owned companies. The bottom line is that mineral resources are being exploited for the benefit of a few connected individuals, some state institutions, multinational companies and foreign nations. The mining sector is also associated with a lot of corruption. There is no transparency and accountability in the allocation of mining rights and in the distribution and use of revenue from mining. For example in the diamond mining sector the selection of mining investors and the issuance of mining contracts are shrouded in secrecy.

Sadly, communities around mining areas often live in grinding poverty, are displaced without receiving adequate compensation, experience health problems due to environmental pollution and face human rights violations by the state and mining companies. In some cases there is increased use of state security apparatus and other institutions to repress the people and civil society activists from questioning and calling government and mining companies to account. To that extent, the government has abdicated its duty to protect, promote and uphold the rights of the people and has become complicity in repressing rural and poor communities living in mining areas like Marange where diamond mining is taking place. The above situation is a manifestation of a “resource curse” scenario.

Through the Extractive Industries (Mining) Programme, ZELA is working on a number of project activities that are meant to protect the environmental, economic, social and cultural rights of communities living adjacent to mining areas or those displaced by mining operations. The programme is based on the need to ensure that government and mining companies are accountable and transparent in managing and exploiting mineral resources. The programme also seeks to ensure that the local people and the nation as a whole derive economic benefits from mining.

Through advocacy, litigation, education and human rights monitoring the programme ensures that communities are protected from displacement without adequate and fair compensation, human rights violations, environmental pollution and exclusion from decision making processes on revenue distribution and management. The programme is also meant to act as a platform for inspiring communities to have confidence and gather strength to question government and mining companies about their impact on community livelihoods. In order to influence policy and legal processes, the programme targets legislators and other decision makers such as local authorities to pass laws and policies that respond to the best interests of the people and advance community rights. Currently, ZELA is implementing the following projects under this programme; Advocacy work on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Publish What You Pay (PWYP) campaign, campaign on the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), Promoting Legislative Representation of Mining Communities and Building the Capacity of Community Based Organisations in mining areas.