Civil Society Organisations operating in Mutare welcome the notice by Freestone Mines (Pvt) Ltd to cancel the Dangamvura Mountain lease agreement. Through their legal practitioners, Mushoriwa Pasi Corporate Attorneys, Freestone Mines (Pvt) Ltd wrote to Mutare City Council notifying the local authority of their decision to cancel the lease agreement. According to a memo by Acting Mutare City Council Town Clerk Mr Chafesuka, Freestone Mines cancelled the lease agreement citing ‘resistance from different individuals and stakeholders who are totally against the project’.
Civil Society Organisations would like to thank Freestone Mines for listening to the concerns of the people of Mutare. The gesture has shown good corporate behaviour on the part of Freestone Mines. Democratization of natural resource governance resonates with international best practices of good corporate governance and sustainable development. The interests of the people and their community values must always be prioritized when making decisions regarding natural resource extraction. It is our hope that other extractive industries take a lesson from Freestone Mines on how to implement the concept of Free, Prior, Informed and Continuous Consent in their operations.
We call on Mutare City Council to immediately act on the notice of cancellation by Freestone Mines and take all the administrative and legal procedures to ensure the lease agreement is cancelled. We also call on the local authority to leave no stone unturned in thoroughly investigating allegations of improper behaviour by some serving and former council officials in the manner this agreement was handled.
This statement has been issued by the following organisations:
- Africa Arise
- BRIDGE Trust
- Bring Up the girl Child
- Buhera Residents Network Trust
- Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG)
- Centre for Research for Peace & Development in Africa
- Commercial Federation of Manicaland Trust (CFMT)
- Community Crime Monitoring Project
- Community Water Alliance
- Concerned Youth and Young Adults Trust
- Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
- Freedom for the Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe
- Green Governance Zimbabwe Trust
- Hope Community Foundation Africa
- Institute for Young Women Development
- Intergenerational Dialogue Zimbabwe
- Kundai Rutendo Trust. ( Nyanga )
- Mhakwe Heritage Trust
- Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Association (MURRA)
- Padare
- Peace Building and Capacity Development Trust
- Platform for Development Initiative
- Platform for Youth and Community Development
- Tariro Foundation Trust
- Masvingo Residents Forum
- Mutare Informal Traders Association (MITA)
- The Eastern Caucas (Teca)
- United Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Trust (UMRRT)
- Women’s coalition of Zimbabwe
- Women Network for Environment and Climate Change ( Chimanimani)
- Youth Agrarian Society
- Zimunya Young People’s Network Trust
- Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Workers Union.
- Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD)
- Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
- Zivai Community Empowerment Trust
- Zimbabwe Youth Biodiversity Network