By Courage Dutiro
Communities in Bikita have urged the government to expedite amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act, citing the need for legislation that compels mining companies to invest in local development projects and plough back into the areas where they operate.
Local leaders and other stakeholders in mining sector in the district challenged the Mines and Minerals Act of 1961, which governs the country’s extractive sector saying it does not bind miners to promote development in the communities from which they operate from.
The District, which has over 1,500 registered mines, plays host to one of the top ten lithium miners in the world, which some local stakeholders and leaders felt was not doing much to develop the district.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting organised by ActionAid Zimbabwe in Bikita recently, Ward 11 councillor Laurance Vhovha said there was a need for the Mines and Minerals Act amendment process to be finalised because it was taking communities back.
“The law is taking us back as local communities, the natural resources are taken from our communities leaving us without anything tangible to show to the next generation that the area once produced rich minerals that were sold overseas. The law should bind the miners to sustainable mining and community development, ” said Vhovha.
For decades, the amendment process has been delayed resulting in challenges across the sector including environmental degradation, inadequate protection of local communities and land rights violations.
ActionAid Zimbabwe country director Joy Mabenge said without binding legislation on benefits, beneficiation, benefits sharing and community ownership, companies will be left to do as they please.
“Parliament after parliament have been trying to amend or re-write the Act without success, I think we have reached a point where it becomes very important for parliament to take seriously the processes of finalizing this bill.
“There is a great degree of beneficiation by communities, some of these if left only to cooperate social responsibility which is non-binding, even where companies are doing very little they seem to be doing very much so it will be important for the legislation part of things to be dealt with.
“The problem is, without binding legislation on benefits, beneficiation, benefits sharing and community ownership it will leave companies to do as they please,” said Mabenge.
He also said as the country awaits the revised version of the Act it was good for the miners and the communities to have a good working relationship through corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Local traditional leader, Chief Marozva whose area of jurisdiction hosts one of the biggest mining companies in the country said there is still a lot to be done in the area so that after the mining company is gone they will have something to proudly point at.
“I appreciate that the mine has done something for us but some villages are still drinking water from the river beds while we host one of the biggest mines in the country. There is still a lot to be done in the area so that after they are gone we will have something to point at,” said Marozva.
ActionAid Zimbabwe Natural Resource Governance Manager Obey Sinono said they had engaged the lawmakers to make changes in the Minerals Act and also engaged the attorneys general about the outdated law.
In February, during the Investing in African Mining Indaba 2025 held in Cape Town, Minister Winston Chitando said critical consultations for a revised version of the country’s Mines and Minerals Act had already been conducted.
When passed, the amended Act will strengthen the enforcement of sustainable practices in the mining sector.
