Youth Environmental Monitoring and Data Protection in the Context of the Data Protection Act [Chapter 11:12] (No. 5 of 2021).

By Manele Mpofu (ZELA Litigation Unit) Introduction Youth are increasingly aware of the environmental challenges facing their country and are eager to take action and can play a key role in ensuring that the environment is protected for future generations. Social media has become an increasingly important tool for youth in advocacy efforts, particularly when […]

CASE NOTE: LIVISON CHIKUTU AND ORS VS MINISTER LANDS AND ORS CCZ  03/2023 (Chilonga Case)

12 May 2023 Introduction and background The question that boggles people’s minds in Zimbabwe is whether families living in communal areas can lawfully resist being displaced from the land they occupy when the land is set aside by the government for a particular ‘development’ project. Given Zimbabwe’s development agenda centered around developing natural resources, it […]

PRESS RELEASE: ZELA’s Analysis of Legal Developments and the Implications of the lithium mining rush in Zimbabwe now out

For immediate release Harare,25/04/2023 The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) has produced a situational report that provides an account of the lithium rush in Zimbabwe by artisanal, small-scale, and large-scale miners as well as the associated legal and policy developments. The research also assesses the potential and actual impacts of lithium mining and exploration and […]

Communique:Signing and Ratification of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) Statute

Date of Release: 14 April, 2023 Since the adoption of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) in 2009, stakeholders are increasingly realizing its value proposition, as an effective framework for designing a resilient, effective, and well-governed African mining sector. At the core of the AMV is the enhanced contribution of the mining sector to Africa’s sustainable […]

Opportunities and Threats on Advancing Investments and Economic Benefits from Africa’s Diamonds

March 2023 Compiled by ZELA’s Deputy Director Shamiso Mtisi Speech at the 8th Ordinary Meeting of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) Committee of Experts and Council of Ministers: 23 March 2023- Elephant Hills, Victoria Falls Your Excellency, I want to firstly thank the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the African Diamond Producers […]

A safe climate is a vital element of the right to a healthy environment.

24 March 2023 Compiled by Clarity Sibanda Climate change poses an existential threat to humanity, and the negative consequences are borne disproportionately by those who not only emit fewer greenhouse gases but are already in disadvantageous situations due to gender, poverty, and other factors. These are the words of Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association’s (ZELA) Executive […]

Forests give us so much more than timber and bamboo.

21 March 2023 Compiled by Ignatious K. Maeresa & Hazel T. Chimbiro The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012. The day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.  ZELA recognizes the pertinent role played by forests not only in the environment but […]

We Are Game! Legislators Commit to AMDC Statute Ratification

Compiled by Batanai Mutasa Kadoma, 17 March 2023 – The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) and the Africa Institute of Environmental Law (AIEL) this week, held a workshop to strategize and combine efforts to encourage the ratification of the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) Statute, which is one of the priority implementation indicators of the […]