Traditional leaders have expressed concerns about the continued failure by mining companies to economically transform mining host communities and called for holistic approaches to solve the problem.
In Zimbabwe, there is a long-standing relationship between traditional leadership and mining.
Traditional leaders are expected to be key players in the governance and management of natural resources, including mining operations, in their local communities.
The Traditional Leaders Act provides that chiefs have the responsibility to prevent any unauthorised settlement or use of communal land in such activities as mining.
Traditionally, these leaders have been seen as custodians of the land and its resources, responsible for its protection and sustainable use. The traditional leaders are supposed to be involved in decision-making processes, ensuring that mining activities align with the needs and interests of their communities.
However, this has not been the case in Zimbabwe, where mining has left host communities in worse conditions than they were before. Local communities in Marange were even moved to make room for mining.
In Penhalonga mining has exacerbated pollution and environmental deterioration. Coal dust from shunting trucks and coal seam fires pose a threat to the residents in Hwange.
Speaking during the recently held Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI) which was held in Bulawayo to deliberate on shared experiences and lived realities, Chief Marozva of Bikita spoke at length on the need for mining to contribute to meaningful development of host countries.
“Improving the health, educational, and employment prospects as well as the quality-of-service delivery to mining host communities should be a priority for all mining projects in Zimbabwe. Within the context of Zimbabwe, this has not kept up,” said Marozva.
The integration of traditional leadership into mining governance is critical so that it ensures mining activities benefit local communities, minimize environmental impacts, and promote sustainable development.
During the symposium on social problems in the vital minerals mining industry, Chief Nyamhanza of Mtoko voiced concerns about how mining companies avoid interacting with communities before beginning mining operations, often resulting in forced relocations.
“Mining companies have a tendency to avoid stakeholder engagement before embarking on mining ventures. This has been a real challenge, with communities protesting and occasionally being exposed to forced relocations and environmental degradations caused by mining, which can be avoided if discussions are conducted prior to the start of mining,” said Nyamhanza.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) under the Right to Say No Campaign has been capacitating communities to assert their rights. The Right2SayNO is a grassroots campaign that asserts the rights of communities to turn down or reject projects that are imposed on them, particularly extractive projects that affect their right to land, water, forests, rivers, seas, and oceans.
The #Right2SayNO reasserts the right of communities to say YES to models of development or activities which advance their human security and dignity.
CNRG has been putting it to policymakers and government arms that rural communities have always been the burden carriers of the impact of mining despite not benefiting significantly from these activities.
The organisation has repeatedly made the point that often, communities are exposed to pollution, land degradation, displacement and even loss of ancestral lands to mining operations which is not supposed to happen in a country with good natural resource governance practices.
CNRG exists to ensure natural resources are a blessing and not a curse to the host communities. The extractive sector, whilst viewed as a boom by government and corporations, is in reality doom to most communities who have fallen victim to the paradox of plenty.