That Zimbabwe has a significant and diverse mineral resource base is not in doubt. With estimates that Zimbabwe has the second largest reserves of chrome and platinum after South Africa and potential to supply about 25% of the global diamond market, mining can play a catalytic role in Zimbabwe's economic revival, stabilization and eventual growth. However, Zimbabwe's economic resource base represents a comparative and not a competitive advantage. The question therefore is what does Zimbabwe need to do to ensure that this comparative advantage based on its mineral resource base is turned into a competitive advantage? It is against this background that the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) commissioned a review of the draft Minerals Policy with a view of understanding to what extent it will help Zimbabwe unlock economic development from its vast mineral resources.

their advantage. The astronomically high unemployment levels in the country have exacerbated the attendant poverty levels, which has led to local communities seeking alternative survival strategies. In the case of Nyamuzuwe, the local community has embarked on the exploitation of black granite quarry to irk out a living. However, it has been noted that the local community has derived socio-economic benefits from the quarrying venture, while on the other hand, the quarrying activity has taken its toll on the local environment. Consequently, the paper examines the socio-economic and environmental impacts of black granite quarrying on local communities in the community of Mutoko District. A total of 185 respondents were selected through random sampling and data was collected through questionnaires. Additionally, focus group discussions and interviews were conducted to establish the extent of spin-offs from black granite quarrying which cumulatively brought infrastructural development, ...

Artisanal gold mining is slowly adopting technology formally used in medium to large size mines and developing it into innovative, specialized equipment tailored to conditions pertaining to remote locations in Zimbabwe. Artisanal miners use obsolete technology and are ill-informed of new transitions in terms of technical knowledge on sustainable development, mine planning and design techniques due to rudiment mining principles still in use. Low productivity due to low efficiency in the mining operations has undermined the economic potential of artisan gold miners. This economic potential has also been affected by rapid environmental degradation caused by artisan miners. The rationale of the thesis is to identify and measure formalization of the sector (artisan gold miners) and investment in appropriate technology which is home made, efficient and environmentally friendly, and to promote sustainability in the artisan gold mining sector. Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) method was used for...

Zimbabwès mining sector continues to be touted as the anchor and backbone to country's economic growth and poverty reduction initiatives. This fact is acknowledged in the Government of Zimbabwe's five year development plan where mining and mineral beneficiation have been identified as an important development cluster. Mining is outlined as the lead sector based on its contribution to both the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and export earning having contributed nearly 20% and 60% respectively in 2013. However given the prominence mining has in the economic and fiscal realm of the country in Zimbabwe there is limited participation by communities in natural resources governance. Platforms for communities to dialogue with government and mining companies on the impacts of mining on the life in general and livelihoods in particular are very few. Despite the potential of the mining sector to contribute to economic development, the sector is presently causing untold suffering to the local communities living adjacent to mining operations. Some of the problems affecting mining communities include issues of forced evictions and relocations of communities from their traditional lands without free and prior informed consent and lack of fair and adequate compensation in order to pave way for mining activities. These irregular relocations and resettlements have been done and continue to be done without government and the mining companies recognising local communities as an important stakeholder in the mining sector. This situaton is leaving a lot of poor men, women and children suffering from loss of agricultural and grazing lands, thereby, threatening their food security and livelihoods. The situation is even worse for rural women as they are heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture for their livelihoods. Furthermore, mining activities continue to cause environmental degradation, siltation of rivers, water and air pollution that affect their lives related to extractives. The above scenario sets a clear justification for convening Alternative Mining Indabas as open platforms for mining affected communities to discuss the impacts of mining on their livelihoods, rights and environment with the government and the mining companies. The fundamental concept behind the initiative being to enable communities to deliberate on these issues and provide a platform within which they develop advocacy strategies that would ensure the protection, promotion and realization of their rights in the mining sector by government and mining companies. Alternative mining Indabas have evolved to become the biggest public interest gatherings on mining and mining impacts in Zimbabwe. This paper thus serves as an expose of the major outcomes from all alternative mining Indabas held in Zimbabwe in 2014.

Small-scale gold mining increased phenomenally in Zimbabwe with the liberalisation of the economy in the early 1990s when the Government of Zimbabwe adopted the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme in 1991. It was initially concentrated along the Great Dyke which stretches from southwest to northeast across the Zimbabwean plateau but it later spread to all regions of the country due to the unspeakable economic crisis in the past decade. It became a viable livelihood strategy among poor families due to uncertainty and anxiety which characterise the Zimbabwean economic landscape. The study investigated the role of small-scale gold mining in promoting sustainable livelihoods among local communities in Kadoma District of Zimbabwe. The sustainability of small-scale gold mining is a contentious issue given the level of environmental degradation and the disruption of social relations taking place in the district. However, the sustainability of the sector mainly rests upon proper regula...