Editorial Note – Weekly, 10th Edition
In this 9th edition of The Weekly, a clear and unsettling pattern emerges: Zimbabwe’s extractive sector is not merely an economic space, but a contested terrain where power, rights, and survival intersect. From Mutare to Shurugwi, from Chiadzwa to Penhalonga, the stories in this issue collectively interrogate a central question—who truly benefits from the country’s vast mineral wealth?
The lead story on mining-induced displacement, drawn from the ENABLE project training in Mutare, exposes a quiet crisis unfolding across rural Zimbabwe. Displacement is no longer an exceptional event; it is becoming structurally embedded in the country’s development model.
The failure to domesticate the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa stands out as a critical governance gap, leaving affected communities without enforceable protections. What emerges is a stark reminder: without legal reform, development risks reproducing vulnerability rather than alleviating it.
Elsewhere, the political economy of diamonds in Chiadzwa reveals how mineral wealth continues to shape not only livelihoods, but political allegiance. The endorsement of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 in Mutare West signals a deeper dynamic—where perceived developmental gains from extraction may consolidate political continuity. Yet this raises difficult questions about accountability, transparency, and whether localised benefits can offset a history of exclusion.
Encouragingly, this edition also highlights agency. The Just and Fair Share Campaign reflects a growing shift from passive victimhood to informed engagement. Communities across Manicaland are not only demanding inclusion but are actively building the tools—legal, digital, and strategic—to negotiate fairer outcomes. This is complemented by the rising voice of women in mining, whose push for responsible sourcing and formalisation underscores the importance of gender-responsive governance in a sector long defined by inequality.
At the same time, the situation at the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company is a sobering counterpoint. Allegations of unpaid salaries and internal inequities highlight persistent governance failures within state institutions. The contradiction is striking: a sector capable of generating immense wealth, yet unable to meet its most basic obligations to workers.
Finally, the petition from communities in Shurugwi reinforces a recurring theme—environmental degradation, weak regulation, and the marginalisation of those living closest to extraction sites. Parliament’s response will be a litmus test of its commitment to constitutional rights and environmental justice.
Taken together, the stories in this edition point to a deeper paradox. Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth continues to expand, yet so too do the fault lines of inequality, displacement, and governance deficits. Bridging this divide will require more than policy rhetoric. It demands legal reform, institutional accountability, and, above all, the meaningful inclusion of communities in decisions that shape their land, livelihoods, and futures.
As The Weekly reaches its 9th edition, it does so with a sharpened lens: documenting not just the realities of extraction, but the possibilities for a more just and equitable resource governance framework.