Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba [email protected]
MIDLANDS Provincial Affairs and Devolution Secretary Dr Edgar Seenza has called for responsible mining-induced displacement processes, saying development must remain centred on people as Zimbabwe modernises its extractive sector.
Speaking at the second validation workshop of the Draft Development-Induced Displacement Best Practice Handbook in the Midlands yesterday, Dr Seenza said the dedicated focus on mining-induced displacement was timely as the country pursues growth under the National Development Strategy 2.
The workshop is being organised by local non-governmental organisation, the Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT), working with Government ministries and departments.
“It is my pleasure to join you today for this second validation workshop of the Draft Development-Induced Displacement Best Practice Handbook, this time with a dedicated focus on mining-induced displacement,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Infrastructure, Mr Tendai Forichi.
Dr Seenza commended stakeholders for their commitment to strengthening how Zimbabwe plans for and manages development-induced displacement.
“Zimbabwe is on a path of growth and transformation. Guided by our National Development Strategy 2, we are working hard to build a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society. Mining, in particular, remains one of the most significant drivers of this transformation,” he said.
He noted that while mining had generated employment, attracted investment and contributed to national output and export earnings, it also presented unique challenges.
“New mining operations frequently require the relocation of communities and, in doing so, introduce compounding complexities that extend far beyond simple physical relocation,” Dr Seenza said.
“Mining brings long-term environmental realities, such as soil degradation, that can permanently alter ecosystems and strip communities of their traditional agrarian livelihoods, health security and access to clean natural resources.”
He said Government was now pushing for socially responsible mining, in line with President Mnangagwa’s call last week for operators to move away from models that extract wealth without building local capacity.
“Just last week, President Mnangagwa called on mining operators and the private sector to move away from business models that extract wealth without building long-term local capacity, and called on stakeholders to ensure strategic minerals are beneficiated for mutual benefit,” Dr Seenza said.
“The ongoing development of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, alongside recent Government measures to regulate strategic minerals, underscores our national commitment to maximising the value of our mineral resources for the benefit of both the economy and the public.”
Turning to the Midlands, Dr Seenza said the province, and Mberengwa District in particular, exemplified both the opportunities and challenges of mining-driven growth.
“Here in Midlands Province, and particularly in Mberengwa District, we see many of the opportunities and challenges associated with mining-driven growth. Midlands is one of Zimbabwe’s key mining provinces,” he said.
“We have witnessed continued investment in mining activities alongside genuine efforts at community engagement, but also the practical difficulties that arise when agreements on land, water and livelihoods must be implemented and sustained over time.”
Dr Seenza said the workshop would assess the technical rigour of mining-related provisions, evaluate their feasibility within provincial and local authority structures, and address gaps, particularly around informally tenured and marginalised groups.
He praised the collaborative process that produced the handbook, involving Government, academia, civil society, technical experts and affected communities.
“I therefore encourage all participants to continue on this path of partnership and approach the next two days with openness and a spirit of constructive engagement,” he said.
Dr Seenza said responsible displacement processes were critical to ensuring mining benefits communities.
“As Zimbabwe continues to develop its mineral wealth, we must remain guided by the principle that development is about people. Mines, and the roads, water infrastructure and livelihoods connected to them, are important because of the opportunities they create for citizens. Their ultimate purpose is to improve lives and strengthen communities.”
He said careful planning and open engagement would help ensure communities in the Midlands and across the country participate in and benefit from national progress.
“In this way, we strengthen not only individual mining projects but also the broader national vision of inclusive growth, shared prosperity and sustainable development.”
He said development-induced displacement remained a long-standing global challenge with severe social, economic, cultural and environmental consequences, particularly in developing countries where communities were least equipped to absorb sudden livelihood shocks.
“In Zimbabwe, and within Midlands Province specifically, communities face compounding displacement pressures from agriculture, urbanisation, infrastructure development and accelerating mineral extraction; pressures that are projected to intensify as the country drives its national development agenda forward,” he said.
To proactively manage the challenge, a multi-phase process was initiated to establish a standardised regulatory guide. Following two participatory workshops in 2025, where stakeholders contributed to an initial framework, this third phase has convened a Technical Working Group to undertake a structured validation of the draft DID handbook.
The group brings together specialists in land governance, environmental law, resettlement planning, community development and human rights to critically review the handbook, assess the feasibility of proposed practices, identify gaps and recommend strategic refinements.
Building on the first validation workshop held in June 2026, which covered urbanisation, agriculture and infrastructure, this second session is focusing exclusively on mining-induced displacement and its cross-cutting themes.
CCMT Director Mr Xavier Mudangwe said development-induced displacement in Zimbabwe spans four distinct but interconnected contexts: urbanisation, infrastructure development, agricultural expansion and mining. Each is governed by separate legal frameworks and institutional arrangements and affects different population groups.
“The central challenge across all these sectors lies in balancing the developmental mandates of responsible authorities with the socio-economic rights of affected communities,” he said.
He noted that, historically, displacement in mining had frequently been treated as an ad hoc operational afterthought rather than being managed through comprehensive, rights-based frameworks.
“When communities lack robust protection, mining-induced displacement results in the irreversible loss of land, shelter, livelihoods, natural resources and cultural heritage, harms that are disproportionately borne by the most vulnerable demographics,” Mr Mudangwe said.
A dedicated focus on mining is therefore essential because mining-induced displacement introduces unique, compounding complexities that extend far beyond simple physical relocation.
Unlike other development initiatives, mining comes with long-term environmental externalities such as soil degradation, water contamination and heavy machinery hazards that permanently alter ecosystems and traditional agrarian livelihoods, while also threatening health security and access to clean natural resources.
“Consequently, while the draft handbook comprehensively addresses all four contexts, this specific validation workshop targets mining-induced displacement due to its highly specialised nature, severe socio-environmental complexities and unique operational challenges,” he said.
Participants at the workshop are expected to assess the technical rigour and legal precision of the mining-related provisions, evaluate their practical feasibility within provincial and local authority structures, and propose revisions ahead of the handbook’s finalisation.
