Mining sector in shambles

via Mining sector in shambles – NewsDay Zimbabwe August 28, 2015

Mines and Energy Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson Lovemore Matuke has said the country’s mining sector is in a shambles and needed an urgent policy overhaul as the country’s mineral resources had failed to make an impact on the economy.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Matuke said this in Harare yesterday during a Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association multi-stakeholder policy impact review meeting with legislators and other stakeholders.

He also said the laws governing the mining sector in the country were inconsistent and were responsible for shying away investors.

“There is no transparency and accountability in the mining sector. This is one of the big challenges we face because some of the issues are not open to the public,” Matuke said.

“We need to come up with proper systems so that there is transparency in the extractive sector. There should be audit mechanisms on how mining is benefiting the country. There should be an overhaul of the mining sector.

“The failure by government over the years to overhaul the mining sector and introduce policies that guarantee revenue inflows to the fiscus in order to sustain the country’s developmental needs has impacted negatively on the economy and increased the vulnerability of communities living in resource rich areas.”

Matuke also alleged the mining sector was infested with corruption.

He said it was imperative to make the mining contracts between government and investors transparent and reviewed so that the communities and the country at large clearly benefitted from the mineral resources.

He called for urgent aligning of laws with the new Constitution.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment, Water and Climate Anastancia Ndlovu also accused the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) of being a toothless bulldog and for failing to stamp its authority.

Ndlovu said reports of different forms of pollution coming from mining areas were worrisome. She said the fines being imposed on offenders are not deterrent enough.

“EMA is a toothless bulldog. Pollution and land degradation is continuing every day. We should come together to see how we can help capacitate it because at the moment EMA is crippled,” she said.

Musikavanhu MP Prosper Mutseyami revealed that the Mozambican government was raising concern over water pollution from Chiadzwa that was also affecting them.

People from surrounding Chiadzwa areas called upon the legislators to up their game in fighting water pollution.

The villagers said they are losing their livestock due to pollution and would want the companies to compensate them.

During the discussions, Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyadyena who is chairperson of the portfolio committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment promised the villagers that his committee will tour the area soon.