Communities, accountability and the choices ahead
The 30th edition of The Weekly arrives at an important moment for Zimbabwe’s natural-resource sector. As demand for critical minerals grows and new extraction projects continue to attract attention, the country is facing choices that will shape its economy, environment and communities for generations to come. At the centre of those choices is a fundamental question: who gets to shape the decisions that affect land, water, livelihoods and mineral wealth?
This edition examines efforts to move natural-resource governance closer to the communities most affected by it. We look at the ENABLE Project’s work to strengthen local organisations and support community-led advocacy. The project places participation, transparency, financial accountability and locally defined priorities at the centre of its next phase, recognising that organisations should facilitate community action rather than speak on behalf of communities.
We also consider Zimbabwe’s emerging rare-earth opportunity and the choices that must be made before extraction begins. Zimbabwe is understood to hold deposits of all seventeen rare-earth elements, yet commercial mining has not started. That gives the country a valuable opportunity to establish the terms of ownership, processing, environmental protection, human rights, local employment and value addition before the first truck leaves a mine. With global demand for critical minerals accelerating, Zimbabwe can negotiate from a position of strength, but only if policy and enforcement keep pace with international interest.
Transparency is another central concern. A new Critical Minerals Data Observatory is moving towards finalisation after consultations with mining-affected communities and stakeholders in Hwange. The proposed platform aims to make information about production, ownership, licences, exports, royalties, revenues, environmental compliance and community grievances more accessible. For communities that often see the impacts of mining without access to basic information about the operations around them, reliable data can be an important foundation for demanding accountability.
The edition further brings into focus the often-hidden costs of extraction. New research on women’s livelihoods in Zvishavane highlights the loss of agricultural land, pressure on water sources, disrupted livelihoods, unequal access to consultation and compensation, and the heightened risks faced by women in mining areas. At the same time, the research shows women building resilience through savings groups, water-monitoring initiatives, mining networks and community advocacy.
We also revisit the long-delayed Ziminya Dam in Nkayi, a project first proposed in 1952 and still incomplete more than seven decades later. For local communities, the dam represents far more than an infrastructure contract: it carries hopes of reliable water, agricultural development, employment and improved livelihoods. Its unfinished state raises difficult questions about public promises, project delivery and the meaning of official progress figures on the ground.
As Southern Africa approaches another potentially difficult dry season, this edition also explores the relationship between climate risk and resource governance. Drought becomes more dangerous when rivers are polluted, wetlands are degraded, boreholes are unreliable and communities have already lost access to land and water. Climate preparedness must therefore include strong environmental enforcement, transparent monitoring of mining activities and meaningful participation by communities in decisions affecting their resources.
From Lukosi, we share a story of women turning exclusion into collective action. Their decision to meet regularly, document the impacts they face and organise around practical demands is a reminder that affected communities are not merely recipients of decisions or victims of harm. They are organisers, advocates and essential partners in building a fairer resource future.
Taken together, the stories in this edition underline the importance of community-centred governance. Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth can contribute to development, but only when extraction is matched by transparency, environmental responsibility, gender equality, fair participation and respect for the rights of the people living closest to natural resources.
Read the 30th edition of The Weekly for reporting, analysis and community perspectives on the choices shaping Zimbabwe’s natural-resource governance.