Tourism and Environment

Miners, legal representatives, environmentalists call for scrapping of the Mines and Minerals Bill

Published

1 year ago

June 2, 2023

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Mines and Minerals Bill was criticized for failing to include clauses that regulates mining activities and giving sovereign minerals power to the president even at the communities land.

The debate was tabled at the just-ended Chamber of annual conference where various stakeholders, including the rights lawyers, miners and the environmentalists have called on the parliamentarians to abolish the archaic 1961 Mines and Minerals Bill, which they are critiquing it for failing to incorporate community representation, human rights violations, environmental degradation, revenue leakages and lack of transparency among other concerns.

The first to weigh in was James Tsabora, a legal consultant at the University of Zimbabwe where he was unpacking the Bill and giving matters to consider.

Tsabora said the Bill, if not amended to include local communities, issues of conflict will always arise between the private miners, the communities and the government.

The Bill gives the president sovereign powers over the minerals in the land, and as such many communities in the country have been displaced or pending to be especially those located in the coal mining and diamond areas.

According to the permanent secretary in the ministry of Mines and Mining Development Pfungwa Kunaka said the proposed amendment Bill is currently before the Mines ministry, pending processes of taking it to the parliament, senate and the president.

Consultations have been done throughout the country, and the submissions will be accompanied by communities’ views.

The chairperson of Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development Edmond Mukaratikwa told the gathering that through the consultative meetings, what came out was that the public feels left out in the benefit of the minerals.

“What the public want is access as far as mining is concerned with an eye for safety, minding the environment,” he said.

“In other words, they want comfort and of course the money through empowerment.”

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Lawyer sought to stop ‘illegal’ elephant culling

Published

8 hours ago

October 10, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) is seeking a lawyer to challenge the government’s plan to cull around 200 elephants.

According to the organization’s Terms of Reference, “CNRG is seeking to engage a qualified and experienced lawyer to lead a legal case in response to the Zimbabwe government’s plans to cull around 200 elephants ostensibly to support hunger-stricken families.”

The organization is opposed to the culling, which they believe is illegal and would have devastating effects on the elephant population and the environment.

As stated in the Terms of Reference, the lawyer will be responsible for reviewing the government’s plan, analyzing its legality, and identifying potential legal grounds for challenging it.

The lawyer will also be responsible for preparing legal documents, including a lawsuit, and representing CNRG in court.

The organization is looking for a lawyer with expertise in environmental and wildlife law, human rights and constitutional law, and international law.

As CNRG states, “The consultant will be required to assess the legality of the decision, its implications on Zimbabwe’s elephant herd and the rights of future generations to Zimbabwe’s wildlife heritage, elephants in particular.”

The organization believes that the government’s plan is not only illegal but also unethical and would have long-term negative impacts on the environment, tourism and local communities.

The deadline for applications is not specified, but CNRG says that the position is available immediately.

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Zimbabweans accuse Chinese investors of degrading environment

Published

3 days ago

October 7, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY KITSEPILE NYATHI

Zimbabweans are calling out Chinese investors whom they accuse of degrading the environment where they have established businesses.

China has become Zimbabwe’s largest source of investment under the Emmerson Mnangagwa leadership.

Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency’s 2023 annual figures show that 369 licences were issued to Chinese investors last year, with a projected investment value of $3.93 billion.

The Chinese investors accounted for 40 percent of the projected value of new investment for the southern African country.

Bilateral trade between the two countries reached $3.1 billion in 2023, a 29.9 increase from the previous year, according to China Customs statistics.

Chinese companies are active in various sectors such as energy and power, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, construction and services.

Beijing has also poured billions of dollars into Zimbabwe’s infrastructure where it has built airports, power stations, and dams and even donated a Parliament building.

But Zimbabwean authorities are accused of looking the other way as the investors disregard environmental laws, including conservation of forests and pollution of water bodies.

A report by the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), a research and advocacy organisation, says conflicts between Chinese investors and local residents, especially in the mining areas, are getting out of hand.

The “Investments or Plunder: An Assessment of the Impacts of Chinese Investments in Zimbabwe’s Extractive Sector”report claims that Chinese mining ventures have led to widespread environmental degradation, disregard for cultural rights of host communities and violation of labour laws, often with impunity.

The report alleges Chinese investors are taking advantage of President Mnangagwa administration’s push to attract investment in the mining sector, which has seen relaxation of policies and less monitoring.

“These policies, which are heavily influenced by political considerations, have facilitated unchecked extractivism, often at the expense of environmental sustainability and the dignity of local communities,” says the report.

“There is substantial evidence indicating minimal regulation and oversight of mining operations as government institutions tasked with these responsibilities are often reluctant to intervene due to political implication.”

Zimbabwe’s mining sector contributes about 12 percent of the country’s GDP and 80 percent of exports.

Chinese companies have in recent years invested heavily in lithium mines and are also exploiting gold, diamonds, platinum, coal, chrome and nickel.

“Evidence on the ground shows a widening rift between Chinese nationals and their Zimbabwean employees and host communities,” the report said.

“Increasingly, ordinary Zimbabweans are accusing China of exhibiting colonial traits. Videos have emerged of Chinese nationals treating their Zimbabwean employees in a cruel, inhuman and degrading manner. Labour unions and civil society organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over human rights abuses in Chinese enterprises.”

In July, Zimbabwe deported two Chinese nationals after a viral video showed them assaulting two mine employees.

The two were tied to a bucket of the front-end loader before it was lifted with them hanging by their hands as punishment for allegedly stealing diesel.

CNRG said relations between Chinese nationals and locals in the coal mining town of Hwange had seen police set up a complaints desk specifically to handle issues involving business operations from the Asian country.

Some 13 coal mining companies from China that are operating in the area are accused of fuelling pollution and environmental degradation.

Residents have repeatedly petitioned Parliament to enact legislation that could curb the malpractices by the coal miners and staged multiple demonstrations to no avail.

“Whilst China has defended its growing influence in Zimbabwe as a testament to the longstanding historical ties between the two countries dating back to the liberation struggle, this narrative is in contrast to the growing public sentiments against Chinese investment in Zimbabwe,” the report added.

“Local communities have not been meaningfully consulted regarding Chinese-led projects and the entry of Chinese-owned companies has been met with significant community resistance. These conflicts are likely to persist until the rights of communities are respected and their meaningful participation in the governance of natural resources is assured.”

CNRG said the majority of the people it interviewed for the research believed that the relationship between Zimbabwe and China was “highly exploitative” and highly favoured Beijing’s economic interests.

Last year, Zimbabwean labour unions wrote to the government demanding that it investigate Chinese employers, whom they said had become notorious for torture, beatings, gender-based violence, low wages and a host of other labour transgressions.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions accused government officials of shielding abusive Chinese employers.

Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding said the accusations are often exaggerated.

“I would like to reiterate that the Chinese government consistently requires Chinese enterprises overseas to abide by the laws and policies of the host countries, including Zimbabwe,” he said.

“According to the Zimbabwean government’s assessment and our embassy’s observation, the majority of Chinse companies operating in Zimbabwe are law-abiding and conscientious corporate citizens welcomed by the government and local people. Indeed, there are very few Chinese investors having some problems in their operations, but they do not represent the whole picture of Chinese investment and should not be used to negate Chinese companies’ contribution to the development of Zimbabwe.”

SOURCE: THE EASTAFRICAN

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Parliament of Zimbabwe receives petition against elephant culling

Published

3 days ago

October 7, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A petition opposing the government’s decision to cull 200 elephants has been submitted to the Parliament of Zimbabwe.

The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), a Zimbabwean registered trust, presented the petition on October 4.

According to the petition, “The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZIMPARKS) are… tasked with the protection, management and administration of the wildlife of Zimbabwe.”

The petition states that the decision to cull elephants is unwarranted and will have devastating consequences for conservation and tourism.

“We believe the proposed slaughter of elephants will open a floodgate to poaching in a region where at least 28,000 elephants are killed by poachers every year.”

The petition also raises concerns about the impact on tourism, which is a significant contributor to Zimbabwe’s economy.

“Tourism is one of the 4 pillars that anchor our economy – contributing on average 5.8% to the country’s GDP and 8.6% of the total employment.”

Furthermore, the petition highlights the risk of zoonotic diseases associated with consuming wild animal meat.

“The World Health Organization has also warned that ‘meat or by-products of wild animals are particularly high risk due to the large number of new or undocumented pathogens known to exist in some wild animal populations’.”

The petitioners are calling on Parliament to exercise its constitutional role and hold the Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife accountable.

Government considers culling elephants to feed starving communities

“We beseech the Parliament of Zimbabwe to address these issues of public concern… Stop the proposed killing of elephants and investigate the real causes of the rising Human-Wildlife Conflict and recommend mitigating measures.”