By Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
In the heart of Zimbabwe’s mining communities, from the scarred landscapes of Mutoko to the depleted hills of Christmas Pass, a painful contradiction unfolds. As Acting President Constantino Chiwenga rightly calls for a fundamental shift in our mining industry, declaring that “we must embed beneficiation and value addition as non-negotiable principles,” the reality on the ground tells a different story.
While I applaud the Vice President’s vision, I must correct a fundamental flaw in this narrative: the true custodians of Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth are not the miners but the Zimbabwean people themselves. This distinction is not merely semantic; it is the foundation upon which responsible resource governance must be built.
*Who Are the True Custodians?*
In his recent address at the Mine Entra Conference, Vice President Chiwenga urged miners to act as “custodians of national wealth,” stressing integrity, responsibility, and environmental protection in their operations. While this sentiment is commendable, it misplaces the fundamental ownership of our resources.
The minerals beneath our soil are part of Zimbabwe’s national heritage, held in trust for present and future generations. Miners, whether domestic or foreign, are temporary stewards, not custodians. They are granted the privilege to extract through negotiated agreements, but ultimate ownership remains with the citizens of Zimbabwe.
This distinction matters because when we confuse temporary operators with rightful owners, we create conditions where:
· Accountability flows upward to shareholders rather than downward to communities
· Profit becomes prioritized over people and environment
· Short-term extraction trumps long-term national interest
The recently gazetted Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, which promises to modernize our mining regime by enforcing transparency and corporate social responsibility, must explicitly recognize this fundamental principle of popular ownership.
*The Chasm Between Promise and Practice*
The Vice President’s declaration that “every tonne extracted must translate into jobs created, industries built and communities transformed” rings hollow in many mining communities across our nation.
In Mutoko, Boterekwa, Christmas Pass, and other areas, uncontrolled mining operations have caused severe environmental degradation with negligible local benefit. The evidence is overwhelming:
· Deforestation and habitat destruction as forests are cleared for mining infrastructure
· Water contamination from improper handling of mine tailings and wastewater
· Soil erosion and degradation reducing agricultural productivity
These environmental costs represent not just ecological damage but the theft of our children’s inheritance. When rivers are polluted and soils rendered infertile, the wealth extracted has come at the price of our future prosperity.
*The Chinese Question: A Crisis of Control*
The Vice President’s assertion that “Zimbabwe remains open for business not for extraction” and seeks “mutual partnerships that ensure the minerals beneath our soil empower all our people” directly contradicts the reality of many Chinese mining operations in our country.
Research by the Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association reveals that in the context of Chinese mining operations, “if a worker attempts to assert their rights and demand what is fair, they risk being shot or beaten”. These are not the words of mutual partnership or empowerment.
The problems documented are systematic and severe:
1. _Labour Exploitation_ Local workers face extremely low wages, delayed payments (sometimes for several months), poor living conditions, and work without protective equipment
2. _Environmental Negligence_
Chinese companies often don’t carry out adequate environmental impact assessments or uphold environmental safeguards
3. _Community Disregard_
Unlike colonial eras, where exploitation was at least predictable, today’s operations often leave communities with permanent environmental damage without sustainable development
What makes this particularly galling is that this exploitation occurs while our nation possesses the policy frameworks and rhetorical commitment to prevent it. The question is not one of capability but of political will and enforcement.
*Reclaiming Our Custodianship*
As Zimbabwe transitions from National Development Strategy 1 to NDS2 under Vision 2030, we must move beyond eloquent speeches and toward enforceable accountability.
The global context makes this increasingly urgent. As the world transitions to renewable energy, demand for our critical minerals is projected to skyrocket. According to data from the International Energy Agency cited by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, global demand for transition minerals will triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040. This represents an unprecedented opportunity. If we get our governance right.
To truly honour the principle that minerals belong to Zimbabweans, we must:
· Legally mandate community benefit agreements that guarantee direct revenue sharing from mining operations to local communities
· Strengthen the environmental provisions in the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill to include independent monitoring and meaningful penalties for violations
· Ensure transparent disclosure of all mining contracts and revenues to enable public scrutiny
· Create grievance mechanisms that allow communities to seek redress without fear of retaliation
· Promote local value addition through processing facilities that create jobs and industrial development
*Conclusion: From Rhetoric to Reality*
Vice President Chiwenga is correct that we need “a fundamental shift in [our] mining industry from raw mineral extraction to sustainable beneficiation and community-driven development.” This shift must begin with correctly identifying the true custodians of our mineral wealth: the people of Zimbabwe.
Our minerals should be a blessing, not a curse. They should build schools, clinics, and roads, as the Vice President himself promised. They should create sustainable livelihoods and transform communities. Until we fix the fundamental question of ownership and accountability, we will continue to see our wealth extracted while our people remain poor.
The minerals are for Zimbabweans. It is time we started acting like it.
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira is a concerned Zimbabwean citizen, politician, and advocate for responsible resource governance.
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