Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation (ZELO)has issued a clarion call for mining communities, civil society, industry players, and government bodies to actively prepare for upcoming public consultations on two critical pieces of legislation: the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill and the Climate Change Management Bill,Mining Zimbabwecan report. In a comprehensive address at the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI), Mutuso Dhliwayo, the Director of ZELO, framed these legislative instruments not merely as policy updates but as a potential historic turning point for natural resource governance in Zimbabwe. His speech moved the national conversation beyond the oft-cited “resource curse” narrative, arguing that the real deficit lies not in the ground but in the frameworks designed to manage what is extracted from it.
“When you talk about natural resources, there is this common talk about natural resource gaps,” Dhliwayo stated, “but we as lawyers actually talk about the gaps of poor laws and policies, and the lack of effective implementation. We think that there is a bigger gap than there is in the natural resource gap.” A Legacy of Advocacy and a Strategic Passing of the Baton Dhliwayo’s address was steeped in the weight of nearly two decades of advocacy. He grounded his authority in a long-term perspective, noting he has been working on mining sector reform since 2007.
“I don’t know how many ministers I’ve seen or worked with, permanent secretaries, including Chairpersons of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committees for Mines and Energy, and of course CEOs of the Chamber of Mines,” he reflected, painting a picture of a persistent struggle for reform across multiple political and industry leadership cycles. This extensive experience informed a significant and deliberate strategic shift. Declaring that he would no longer play a “frontline role” in the detailed advocacy for the Mines Bill, Dhliwayo announced his intention to create space for a new generation.
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“I’ve decided to give this space to young people that may also come up with innovative ideas to make sure that this view… there is a commitment from future leaders,” he explained. This move signals a maturation of the civil society movement, focusing on sustainability and leadership development to ensure the fight for equitable resource governance continues beyond its founding figures. It is a testament to his belief that the future of this reform lies in the hands of “young people that are now driving this process.” The core of Dhliwayo’s message was an urgent alert to all stakeholders.
He shared crucial intelligence indicating that the legislative process is moving from deliberation to action. “We are told that the public hearings are going to commence very soon, that’s the intelligence that I have, that I’m sharing with you,” he revealed. This transformed the ZAMI session from a general discussion into a strategic briefing.
He explicitly outlined the dual objective of the meeting: “The first one is to prepare the Mines Bill and the Climate Change Bill for stakeholders… The second one is to help communities and other stakeholders identify the gaps that are there.” He emphasised that “stakeholders” is a broad term, encompassing not just community-based organisations but also parliamentarians, private sector miners, and artisanal small-scale miners. This inclusive approach underscores the fact that effective legislation requires buy-in and input from all parties affected by and involved in the mining sector. A Preliminary Appraisal: Cautious Optimism for the Mines Bill While maintaining a neutral, facilitative stance, Dhliwayo offered a preliminary and generally positive appraisal of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill. Based on a preliminary review, he identified several provisions that align with long-standing advocacy positions of ZELA and its partners, viewing them as significant victories for progressive governance.
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