Gwanda North legislator Desire Nkala has called on the Government to make agreements between mining companies, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and local authorities accessible to communities to ensure they benefit from corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session in Parliament on Wednesday, Nkala said residents were often unaware of agreements signed by mining companies operating in their areas, leaving them unable to monitor promised development projects.
He said communities needed to know what mining companies had committed to deliver and what benefits they were entitled to before mining operations ended.
“Is there a way for places where mining will be taking place to access the agreements the mining companies use? Sometimes miners start mining, yet locals do not even know how they got there. They will not be aware of their documents,” he said.
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“Can local communities access the agreements and what they will be coming to mine so that the communities are also aware of exactly what will be in the agreements and what they stand to benefit from these companies?”
Responding, Mines and Mining Development Minister Polite Kambamura said mining companies were required to consult communities before starting operations through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
He said concerns raised during the consultations should be discussed and appropriate mitigation measures documented.
“If communities raise issues regarding the mining operations, mitigatory measures would be discussed and documented,” Kambamura said.
He said the Government was also seeking to strengthen community consultations through provisions in the proposed Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill.
Under the proposed changes, responsibility for conducting community engagements would be transferred from the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, where mining technical officials would oversee the process.
“The Bill will come to Parliament in a few weeks and we will debate it. It is work in progress,” he said.
Gokwe-Kabuyuni legislator Spencer Tshuma called for a specific legal framework to protect communities from mining companies that fail to honour their commitments.
He said residents had limited bargaining power because mining companies obtained licences from the Ministry of Mines and approval from local authorities, while communities had little influence over the benefits they received.
“Why has the Ministry not introduced a Statutory Instrument to protect community members?” Tshuma asked.
“Community members cannot dictate what they want from an investor because the investor has its licence from the Ministry and the blessing from the local council. However, the community does not get any benefit because no particular law guides them.”
Kambamura said the Ministry’s policy required mining companies to engage host communities before commencing operations and that companies which failed to do so would be in breach of the law.
“We intend to strengthen the law. We have taken note of the concerns raised while we await the Bill’s presentation to Parliament,” he said.
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