Preamble
- The 14th Edition of the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI), convened by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation (ZELO), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), and Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), was held in Bulawayo from 16-19 September 2025 under the theme: “Energy Transition Minerals: From extraction to sustainable development: Unlocking Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth for inclusive growth in the just energy transition.”
- We, the more than 300 delegates from diverse sectors including representatives from public, private, and non-governmental organisations, Government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) including the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC); Ministry of State for Provincial Affairs; Ministry of Mines and Mining Development (MMMD); Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small, and Medium Enterprises; Environmental Management Agency (EMA); Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA); Parliament of Zimbabwe (PoZ); Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries, and Rural Resettlement; Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Bills; Ministry of Industry and Commerce Zimbabwe; Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife; Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs; Environmental Management Agency; Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC); Attorney General’s Office; Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ); Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA); Honourable Members of Parliament and Parliament Secretariat; Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Chairs; Traditional leaders; Rural District Councils and District Development Coordinators; mining associations; Chamber of Mines; mining companies; community and environmental activists; the Church; academia; development partners; the media; and various civil society organizations (CSOs), convened in Bulawayo acknowledge the central role of the mining sector in Zimbabwe’s economy and its potential to drive inclusive development and national transformation. However, this potential is severely undermined by a multitude of persistent challenges and critical issues that demand urgent and comprehensive action.
- The discussions at ZAMI 2025 highlighted profound concerns that:
- Unsustainable resource extraction practices have led to widespread environmental damage, including water pollution, habitat destruction, soil degradation, and deforestation. The rapid expansion of lithium mining, in particular, raises significant concerns about water management and long-term ecological impacts.
- Weak governance systems affecting the mining sector have led to environmental violations, illicit financial flows, substantial revenue leakages, entrenching unsustainable debt accumulation, and inequitable distribution of mining benefits. The lack of transparency in mining contracts and beneficial ownership information exacerbates the mistrust, exclusion of communities and subsequent lack of social license for mining companies to operate.
- Mining operations usually result in displacement, inadequate compensation, and lack of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), particularly affecting marginalised groups whose systematic exclusion from governance processes has led to violence, disempowerment and the entrenchment of poverty in resource-rich areas.
- Gaps in legal and policy frameworks, coupled with inadequate benefit-sharing mechanisms and local development plans, mean that host communities do not receive a fair share of the wealth generated from their resources.
- Despite ongoing reforms, existing laws, including the Mines and Minerals Act, often fall short of aligning with constitutional provisions and international standards, leaving mining host communities without guarantee of community rights.
- The influx of mining activities has been linked to an increase in gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and harassment in mining communities. The absence of a gender-responsive policy in mining has reinforced the marginalisation of women, despite their vital role in sustaining household economies and community cohesion.
2.0 Recommendations
In light of these critical issues, the delegates of the 14th Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba collectively declare the following urgent recommendations to ensure a just energy transition and unlock Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth for inclusive and sustainable development:
Community Rights and FPIC
- We call upon Parliament, the MMMD, EMA, and ZIDA to amend all relevant mining and environmental laws to unequivocally guarantee FPIC for all mining-affected communities, with particular emphasis on women, youth, and vulnerable populations. Furthermore, legally empowered community oversight structures and groups must be strengthened in all mining districts, equipped with the authority to monitor operations, report violations, and access effective grievance mechanisms. This will ensure that communities are not merely consulted but are active participants and beneficiaries in mining governance.
Legislative Reforms
- We advocate for a comprehensive and people-centered reform of the Mines and Minerals Act to ensure its full alignment with the Constitution and international standards. The new legislation must explicitly guarantee community rights and provide mandatory, transparent, and meaningful consultation with all affected communities. Key provisions must include Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs), Water Management Plans, Community Development Agreements (CDAs), and clear, accessible Grievance Redress Mechanisms.
- We call for the co-creation of a national reparations framework that prioritises the empowerment, healing, and economic inclusion of women, youth, and marginalised communities. Such a framework must be grounded in justice, address historical and contemporary harms, and promote inclusive development pathways.
Transparency and Accountability
- We call on the Government of Zimbabwe, through the MMMD, the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion and relevant Parliamentary Portfolio Committees to immediately enact and enforce binding legislation that mandates full public disclosure of mining contracts, tax incentives, royalty flows and beneficial ownership. The establishment of a national mining contracts registry and regular, independent parliamentary audits are essential to foster transparency, accountability and public trust. This will curb illicit financial flows and revenue leakages, ensuring that mineral wealth genuinely contributes to national development.
- We call for the strengthening and retaining provisions for revenue sharing between central and local authorities, ensuring a fair and transparent share of mining revenue is retained at the local level for the direct benefit of host communities, potentially through a robust Community Share Ownership Trust model.
Responsible Investments and International Standards
- We urge the Government and all mining companies to adopt and implement the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights (BHRs) as binding standards. All mining operations must be preceded by independent, comprehensive ESIA with their findings publicly accessible. These assessments must be backed by mandatory remedy funds to ensure legal and financial accountability for any negative social or environmental impacts. There is an urgent need to strengthen institutional capacities, particularly within EMA, to effectively monitor and enforce compliance with environmental and human rights laws, especially concerning water management in lithium mining areas.
- We affirm the role of the Church and civil society organisations in continuing to support and actively influence the emerging UN Tax and UN Debt frameworks, ensuring that global financial reforms reflect the principles of equity, justice, and sustainable development, while safeguarding the fiscal sovereignty of African nations.
- We urge structured and transparent engagement with all stakeholders, including private sector actors, particularly Chinese mining companies, to address community concerns and promote responsible, transparent, and accountable mining practices. The Chamber of Mines, CSOs, Government, communities, and other stakeholders must collaborate to ensure access to information and transparency regarding mining’s contribution to national development. The Ministry of Finance must align fiscal regimes with regional and international best practices to improve transparency and accountability of revenue collection from the mining sector, especially in the upcoming 2026 National Budget and National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Gender Equity and Justice
- We urge the government to adopt and enforce mining and fiscal policies that deliberately address gender inequalities. This includes enacting gender-responsive mining laws that protect women’s land and resource rights and ensure their full participation across the mining value chain. The government must guarantee that revenues from mining are equitably invested in public services that benefit women and marginalised communities, particularly in health, education and climate resilience.
- We demand that gender-based violence (GBV) considerations be mainstreamed into the Mines and Minerals Bill, making GBV prevention and response a mandatory compliance and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirement for all mining companies. Companies must adopt and rigorously enforce workplace policies that include anti-harassment and anti-sexual exploitation measures, coupled with mandatory training on GBV for all personnel. This is crucial for creating safe and equitable environments in mining communities.
Implementation and Monitoring of Governance Systems
- We call upon the government and oversight bodies to establish stronger monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to address mineral leakages and ensure compliance with environmental and human rights laws. Furthermore, the Government must clarify the mandates of all relevant ministries, departments and institutions to prevent overlaps, and ensure efficient and coordinated governance of the mining sector.