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Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]

 STAKEHOLDERS in the mining sector have said big mining companies need to develop communities they are operating in to protect the environment and preserve human rights.

This was said during the ongoing 12th edition Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (Zami) in Bulawayo last week, organised by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) in partnership with Zimbabwe Council of Churches and Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development.

 Running under the theme; “Responsible Production and Sourcing of Critical Minerals in Zimbabwe”, the three-day event has brought in representatives from Government ministries, which include the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, and Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium enterprises, Environmental Management Agency (EMA), civic organisations and mining associations.

 In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Young Miners Foundation chief executive officer Mr Payne Kupfuwa said it is everyone’s responsibility to develop the communities they operate from, and he said established companies should capacitate startups so that they can be able to give back to the community as well as complying with environmental laws.

 “We appeal to large corporations to empower us as young miners and artisanal miners so that we can create safe mining environments for us and the communities, we need to be able to create safe environments on our own.

“There is a need to have systems and formulations that are going to empower us because large companies have enough equipment and money to help us,” he said.

“It is also important for everyone in the mining sector to abide by the environmental management statutes and certain instruments and the EMA should be more serious. There should be a balanced and a closer working relationship between small scale miners and large corporates.”

Mr Kupfuwa also said as youths they need to partake in the mining and value edition of minerals which will give them an opportunity to be in the whole mining value chain especially in lithium.

President Mnangagwa’s administration is emphasising value addition and beneficiation of minerals, which generate more revenue for the country and creates more jobs.

This comes following issues raised in the conference where representatives from mining communities expressed the need to develop communities where mining is taking place.

Bikita Institute of Land and Development project coordinator Mr Mountain Mujakachi who was in one of the plenary discussions, said mining communities face challenges which range from child labour, women and girls abuse and environment degradation, which he said end up putting human lives in danger.

He said through the ZAMI conference, these issues should be brought into light so that they can be looked into.

He also spoke about the need to develop infrastructure where different mining companies operate saying that they have noticed mining communities lagging behind in terms of development.

Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) citizen engagement officer Ms Precious Luphahla said ZAMI is a platform created for communities and various duty bearers where they meet up to discuss challenges, opportunities and solutions on issues of natural resource governance.

She said the platform also gives citizens an opportunity to participate in policy making and other governance processes.

“Today we managed to have voices from various mining communities where they were able to express some of the challenges that they are facing and the challenges are varying from the need to benefit as communities when it comes to resources that are mined in their areas for example they spoke of the state of roads,” said Ms Luphahla.

“They also feel a need for a legal framework that will govern corporate social responsibility to make sure that mining companies own up to giving back to these various communities.”

 Other issues raised include the need for the mining companies to provide employment to people in communities they operate in as they said some operators bring their people.

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