Climate change-focused organisations have begun submitting their views to Parliament as the nationwide public hearings on the Climate Change Management Bill 2025 get underway, urging lawmakers to ensure the proposed law is fully implemented and inclusive of community-level realities.
One such group, the Matobo Youth Development Initiative (MYDI), has already submitted its recommendations to the relevant Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Climate.
The Parliamentary Portfolio and Thematic Committees on Climate Change began conducting nationwide public hearings on the Climate Change Management Bill 2025 on October 20, 2025 to gather input from citizens, civil society organisations, experts and the private sector.
The hearings will run until October 27, 2025.
The Bill seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for climate change adaptation and mitigation, aimed at achieving low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while balancing economic growth, social development, and environmental protection.
It underscores the right of all citizens to an adequate standard of living and equitable access to the benefits of sustainable development.
In an interview with CITE, MYDI Programmes Manager and climate change advocate, Constentine Mpofu, said the organisation was pushing for strong implementation mechanisms once the Bill becomes law.
“What we have submitted to the Portfolio Committee is a call for the full implementation of the Bill once it becomes law. For Africa to have a standalone climate change Act of Parliament is rare, so we want to see it put into real action. The Bill is well-structured, but it must be implemented in a way that preserves all its key elements, because we believe it finally addresses some of the long-standing issues we’ve been raising for years,” he said.
Mpofu noted that because the Bill will influence all economic sectors, it is crucial for the Ministry of Environment and related agencies to possess strong climate sensitivity and technical understanding.
“The Bill prioritises low-carbon development pathways, which is important, but it must also consider the country’s economic realities. Our economy still relies heavily on fossil fuels, particularly from Hwange. This dependence could conflict with the Bill’s overall objective to reduce emissions,” he explained.
He also criticised the Bill for not adequately addressing the environmental impact of mining activities.
“While the government is prioritising low-carbon pathways or a transition, we also noted that Matobo is a mining community where a lot of illegal mining is taking place, and these activities are having a negative impact on the community. We feel the Bill has not been specific enough in addressing this,” Mpofu said.
“The Chinese are causing extensive environmental damage in communities, yet there is nothing in the Bill that speaks to how those areas can be rehabilitated or protected from further harm. Mining activities are damaging our environment, so the Bill must be explicit about regulating the extractive sector.”
Mpofu added that small-scale activities such as brick molding also contribute to climate change at community level.
“When looking at it at the local level, one of the silent economic activities posing a threat and contributing to exacerbating climate change is brick molding, which uses clay. Those bricks are processed using trees that are burnt to harden the bricks,” he said.
“So we are saying some local activities have a negative impact on the environment. We feel there should be a committee at a local level which can respond to such issues or do an impact assessment.”
On the proposed National Climate Fund, Mpofu said it presents a valuable opportunity for communities to strengthen their resilience to climate change impacts.
“The National Climate Fund is a very noble idea because it is justifying that as a country we are bearing the full brunt of climate change. We are at the mercy of the impact of climate change but we are not responsible. Zimbabwe is now one of the highest countries that are receiving the worst climate change impact,” he said.
“So the fund is going to help build the mitigation and adaptation strategies so that people can survive and be able to handle the effects of climate change.”
He added that the fund should prioritise communities living around protected areas, such as Matobo National Park.
“As Matobo District, one of the key priorities in terms of making use of the climate change fund is on strengthening the buffer zones on our wildlife sanctuaries. Some of the specialised zones we have is Matobo National Park, where we are trying to maintain the natural habitat for our flora and fauna so communities around the national park have to be strengthened with resources so they do not end up tapping into resources within that specialised zone,” he said.
“Communities surrounding national parks must be supported with access to water, resources, and sustainable livelihood opportunities so that they do not depend on exploiting resources within protected areas.”
Mpofu also called for the fund to be responsive to climate-induced disasters, such as floods.
“We are also looking at the Climate Fund to respond to emergencies caused by climate change-induced disasters. For example, in recent years we have witnessed flooding in Matobo, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of lives within our district and beyond. We believe the fund should ensure that extreme weather events are managed proactively rather than reactively, not only after a disaster has already occurred,” he said.
“This will inevitably find District-level Civil Protection units unprepared, as they lack the necessary resources to assist disaster victims. Therefore, it is essential that the fund be made easily accessible immediately when a disaster strikes.”