ZCDC’s publication of its annual reports commendable

Compiled by Fadzai Lydia Midzi and Tafara Chiremba It is commendable to note that the State Owned Enterprise (SOE), Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) has published its annual reports online for the years; 2016, 2017 and 2018[1]. Such a transparency step should also be adopted by other mining companies operating in Zimbabwe. The Marange diamond […]

The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association(ZELA) files a case against #Chinese miners

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ZIMBABWE                                                                              CASENO.HC                                                                                    /20 HELD AT HARARE In the matter between: FIDELIS CHIMA                                                                    1ST APPLICANT ZIMBABWE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ASSOCIATION 2ND APPLICANT And ZIMBABWE ZHONGXIN MINING GROUP TONGMAO COAL COMPANY (PVT) LTD                 1ST RESPONDENT And ZIMBABWE MINING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION                                                             2ND RESPONDENT And MINISTER OF MINES & MINING DEVELOPMENT                                                             3RD RESPONDENT And ENVIRONMENTAL […]

Unpacking the Forest Amendment Bill

Compiled by Mutuso Dhliwayo-Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Background and Introduction The forestry sector is a very important in Zimbabwe’s economy. Among the services it provides are timber, fuelwood, wood for charcoal-making and crafts, fodder, fruit, honey, medicinal plants, mushrooms, insects, bark, leaves and poles. Forest land also provides valuable protection for watersheds and wildlife habitat […]

Will what belongs to Caesar be finally rendered, to ensure communities benefit from Marange diamonds?

By Fadzai Lydia Midzi Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Introduction Mining communities in Zimbabwe mostly feel short-changed when it comes to benefiting from mining activities. This is a matter which goes beyond the social license to operate, a rights-based lens must be applied.  In terms of Section 13 (4) of the Zimbabwean Constitution on national development, […]

The 2020 Great Dyke PAMI Declaration

The impact of COVID-19 on the extractives sector: Amplifying community voices in fighting inequality and mining related injustices On the 21st  of August 2020, the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association(ZELA), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development(ZIMCODD) and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches(ZCC) brought together more 50 participants comprising of local traditional leaders, development coordinators, faith leaders, […]

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A USER MANUAL VIDEO

DEADLINE:16 September 2020 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND A local non governmental environmental law organization   developed a chatbot known as Envirobot in 2019. This chatbot is embedded in WhatsApp and allows mineral host communities to share and receive environmental law related information, report cases happening in their area. This platform was tested and piloted in the district […]

Public Interest Litigation: The pain of litigating environmental issues in Zimbabwe

Compiled by George Gapu INTRODUCTION In terms of its founding documents, one of the primary objectives of ZELA is the promotion of environmental justice for disadvantaged communities[1]. Public interest litigation is one of the key strategies long identified as instrumental to achieve this objective. But what is Public Interest Litigation? In India, one of the […]

Call for Consultancy: Gendered analysis of local content policies in the mining sector in Southern Africa

Background The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) is a public interest environmental law organization working on the promotion of environmental justice in Southern Africa through sustainable and equitable utilization of natural resources and environmental protection. ZELA is implementing a project focused on empowering women in mining to become effective economic and political actors so that […]

Call for Consultancy: Development of a position paper on transparency reforms in the mining sector in Zimbabwe.

Background The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) is a public interest environmental law organization working on the promotion of environmental justice in Southern Africa through sustainable and equitable utilization of natural resources and environmental protection. ZELA is implementing a project focused on Strengthening Mining Fiscal Transparency and Accountability in Zimbabwe. As a part of this […]