Gwanda Rural District Council (GRDC) urged mining companies operating within the district to strengthen their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives by investing in social services and infrastructure development for the local community.
According to the latest council report minutes on Sustainable Inclusive Economic Development, while mining partners in the District are generating substantial revenue from their mining operations, their CSR initiatives still fall short of addressing key issues.
The Rural District Council highlighted concerns regarding the impact of mining activities on road infrastructure and pollution in nearby communities.
“It was noted that partners in the mining sector seem to be making notable revenue from their mining activities, but their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives still fall short of addressing key issues like the effects of their activities on the road infrastructure and pollution to communities,” read the minutes.
“The hosting communities have no direct benefit to show that the resources are within their locality,” they said.
The issue was also brought up in Parliament yesterday by Beitbridge West constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Thusani Ndou, who raised concerns about environmental degradation and its consequences, including damage to roads and threats to human and animal life.
In response, Mines and Mining Development Minister Zhemu Soda said mining companies must adhere to environmental regulations and fulfill their commitments to responsible mining practices.
“When a mine is granted in terms of its registration, there are some processes that must be complied with, especially regarding the environment. A certificate has to be issued which entails that the miner will observe all requirements in terms of protection of the environment. That is one of the conditions precedent to the issuance of a mining title or a registration for one to start doing mining. We expect that miners will comply with the commitment that they would have given,” he said.
Soda said there is now a collaborative effort by various ministries to conduct audits, monitor mining activities, and enforce compliance.
“The government has implemented a collaborative effort by various ministries to conduct audits, monitor mining activities, and enforce compliance. These audits are conducted in collaboration with other ministries to ensure compliance,” he said.
He said stringent measures would be taken against those violating environmental laws to deter such practices.
“There is a lot that is happening. We normally carry out some inspections and we now have some responsible mining audits that are being mandated to be carried out. With all that, we should be able to identify the violations and those that are caught on the wrong side of the law are punished immediately as a way of deterring them from committing environmental crimes,” the minister said.
