The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), in collaboration with Marange Community Based Organisations and other Civil Society Organizations have held the 2023 Marange Commemorations to remember people who died during Operation Hakudzokwi (You shall not return) when the government used force to clear artisanal miners from the diamond fields in 2008.
This year’s commemorations was held on November 30 ran under the theme “Human Rights at the Heart of Responsible Mining, Empowering People, Enriching Communities.”
According to Human Rights Watch, more than 200 artisanal miners were killed in less than 4 weeks during the military air and ground operation, code-named Operation Hakudzokwi (You shall not return).
Accordingly, since 2014, the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) has been holding annual commemorations to mark the deaths of the artisanal miners.
The purpose of the commemorations is to honour those who died as a result of diamond mining during the Operation Hakudzokwi as well as advocating for respect for human rights and responsible mining in Zimbabwe.
This year’s commemoration was held at Musangano Lodge, and it brought together communities from Marange and those relocated to Arda Transau.
The commemorations have evolved to become a multi-stakeholder platform to discuss, not only the problems but solutions too.
During this year’s commemorations, the issue of economic value and transparency in the sale of diamonds was discussed.
Speaking during a discussion on Economic Value and Transparency in the sale of diamonds, Joyce Machiri, the Publish What You Pay Coordinator, reiterated the need for communities to benefit from diamond mining proceeds.
“As we celebrate the Marange Commemoration, we continue to honour the advancement we have made, not the struggles we have faced. As we continue with our advocacy issues around responsible diamond mining value addition, responsible mining, community beneficiation, and respect for human rights must remain as key demands,” she said.
Tracy Mutiwekuziva, the CNRG Deputy Programmes Manager told The Weekly that this year’s commemorations were a success.
“Participants had the opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences, build new partnerships, and explore areas of potential collaboration. The conference fostered a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities that are inherent in diamond mining and identifying effective strategies for promoting greater community involvement,” she said.
The discussions during the latest edition of the Marange commemorations identified best practices that both the government and mining companies can adopt to promote decent working conditions while also acknowledging the need for sustainable business practices and these are as follows:
- The government should play its role in promoting transparency and ethical standards throughout the diamond supply chain so that there is a balance between economic prosperity and social responsibility.
- Diamond mining companies should effectively integrate human rights into their policies so that human rights are safeguarded.
- Marange should be demilitarised, and freedom of movement should be a priority.
Additionally, the role of trade unions and collective bargaining in protecting labour rights was an essential aspect that came out of the discussions.