Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba 2024 Declaration
Energy Transition Minerals꞉ Putting Communities First for Community Development Preamble 1.1 The 13th Edition of the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI) was held in Bulawayo from the 28th of October 2024 to the 1st of November 2024 under the theme, “Energy Transition Minerals꞉ Putting Communities First for Community Development, convened by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA), Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), and Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC). 1.2 Over 150 delegates from various sectors representing public, private, and Non-Governmental Organizations, including the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC); Ministry of State for Provincial Affairs; Ministry of Mines and Mining Development; Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small, and Medium Enterprises; Environmental Management Agency (EMA); Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA); Parliament of Zimbabwe (PoZ); community and environmental activists; the Church; academia; development partners; media; and various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), convened in Bulawayo while many others participated virtually. 1.3 The 13th Edition of the ZAMI probed diverse discussions on opportunities for the Just transition in the mining sector with a focus on many areas including, but not limited to, Clean Energy Transition; Public Debt, the Inequality and Extractives Nexus; Responsible Mining; Mining Royalties and Tax Justice; Mining Induced Displacements; Legal Framework in the Extractives; and Environmental Impacts of Mining. 1.4 Recognizing how pivotal the 13th ZAMI is as the world shifts and commits to a Net Zero Economy, guided by the Paris Agreement, to combat climate change-induced existential threats. As a result, this global commitment is driving a substantial increase in demand for critical minerals and the need for investments in the same value chains. The 13th ZAMI comes at a time when the country is working towards Vision 2030 through the National Development Strategy 1 that is coming to an end in 2025 and the 12 billion Mining Economy by 2023 that was achieved resulting in legal reforms that we celebrate today. Zimbabwe is experiencing a drought due to the Elnino Effect increasing poverty levels in communities and negatively impacting the agricultural sector and exerting pressure on the mining sector. 1.5 Acknowledging and appreciating the efforts being made by the Government of Zimbabwe to increase transparency and accountability in the mining sector by undertaking responsible mining audits and promoting value addition and beneficiation in the mining sector. Grateful that the Government of Zimbabwe launched the 2nd Responsible Mining Audit which is a key tenant in environmental social governance compliance and reducing the costs of Mining on the environment and communities. 1.6 Cognizant that the 2024 ZAMI was convened at a critical time when laws and policies on mining and environmental management are being reformed and amended, including the Mines and Mineral Amendment Bill, Environmental Management Act, Minerals Development Policy, Climate Change Bill, the Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining Strategy and the lapse National Development Strategy 1 in 2025. 1.7 Reaffirming that God has given our nation enough resources to ensure sustainable development for a prosperous Zimbabwe if we exercise good stewardship. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1). 1.8 Concerned by the increased environmental degradation caused by unsustainable resource extraction, elevated competition between resource extraction and other land uses, the lack of open beneficial ownership registers, exploitative global financial and tax systems, gaps in the legal and policy frameworks, gaps in benefit sharing mechanisms, lack of/and gaps in local development plans, gaps in community engagement, and ballooning mineral resource revenue leakages. 1.9 Alarmed by high escalating national debt which has surged to over US$21 billion as of June 2024, plunging Zimbabwe into debt distress. This is disproportionately hitting the poorest and marginalized societal groups as substantial fiscal resources are now earmarked for debt servicing, diverted away from critical social services like health and education. 1.10 Emphasizing that debt unsustainability has collapsed Zimbabwe’s capacity to mobilize domestic resources. Consequently, the nation is now partly relying on resource-backed loans, which are exacerbating corruption and unsustainable resource extraction. Furthermore, the Constitution section 13(4) encourages community benefit from natural resources in their locality and section 73 on environmental rights, we emphasize that government domesticate the UN General Comment 26 on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change considering the drought situation in Zimbabwe. 1.11 Worried by lucrative tax incentives awarded to mining companies while taxes on individuals are increasing exponentially. This is draining the fiscus and subduing disposable incomes thus constraining public service delivery, collapsing aggregate consumer demand, widening societal inequalities, and deepening poverty. 1.12 Distressed with the increase in water pollution cases attributed to mining, depletion of water resources, and water contamination due to uncontrolled Riverbed Mining and Siltation. In August 2024, the Government reaffirmed the Ban on Riverbed Mining due to the non-compliance which has caused water contamination and heavy metal pollution because of the use of Cyanide, Mercury, and other ore processing chemicals. PARTIES TO THE 13th ZAMI RECOMMENDED THAT: The nation should reduce reliance on borrowing by embracing strategies for domestic resource mobilization for sustainable development such as improving natural resource governance, tax policies and legislation, strengthening public institutions and public financial management, and diversification of economic activities. The government must consider empowering local community leaders to negotiate natural resource contracts with multinational mining companies by building their capacity and giving them the power to engage. Government and Ministry of Mines and Mining Development should release the Responsible Mining Audit one (1) results and include stakeholders such as communities, Civil Society Groups, District Local Government Stakeholders in the 2nd Responsible Mining Audit Processes The Government of Zimbabwe, Ministry of Finance and Investments Promotion should review the National Development Strategy 1 which is coming to an end in 2025 The government must promulgate sustainability reporting laws and policies that mandate mining companies to disclose the impact that their businesses have on the economy, environment and people The government should prioritise accelerating the realisation of NDS1 strategies in the mining sector to promote increased and sustained growth in the sector particularly on finalisation and implementation of mineral specific policy frameworks and a comprehensive review of the Gold Trade Act, Precious Stones Trade Act and amendment of the Mines and Minerals Act. The government through the Ministry