Online Reporter
Andile Tshuma and Michelle Musandinyoze, Chronicle Writers
CALLS for accelerated strengthening of youth voices and inclusion in Zimbabwe’s extractive sector dominated discussions at a youth symposium held during the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (Zami), in Bulawayo on Monday.
Convened by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Organisation (Zelo), the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) and ActionAid, the gathering brought together young people, policymakers and civil society organisations to reflect on how the country’s mineral wealth can become a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development.
Officials from the Ministry of Youth and the Zimbabwe Youth Council were present at the symposium, which was also attended by some delegates from Kenya, Tanzania and Finland, reflecting growing international interest in youth participation in mining governance.
Zimbabwe Youth Council board chairperson, Unathi Nyoni, said the extractive sector remains a critical space for youth engagement given its centrality to the country’s economy.
“Youth make up the majority of Zimbabwe’s population. Any conversations about mining, resource governance and benefit sharing must meaningfully include us,” he said.
“Otherwise, we risk leaving behind the very generation that will inherit these industries.”
Representing ActionAid through Global Platforms Zimbabwe, Roselilly Ushewokunze stressed that capacity building and platforms for dialogue are crucial if young people are to effectively influence policy.
“We need to create deliberate opportunities for young people to engage, question and contribute to decision-making.
“Their energy, creativity and innovation are what can drive a more just and sustainable extractive industry,” she said.
From a legal and technical angle, Tatenda Mapooze, a mining and minerals technical officer at Zelo, noted that young people often lack access to critical information about mining processes and laws.
“There is still a huge knowledge gap. Young people need to understand contracts, community agreements and environmental implications so they can engage from an informed standpoint,” he said.
Hillary Mugota, a legal officer focusing on youth and child rights at Zelo, highlighted that youth involvement in extractives goes beyond employment.
“It’s about governance, transparency and accountability. If young people are empowered to monitor and speak out on issues like environmental damage or unfair contracts, the entire nation benefits,” he said.
Echoing the global call for sustainable mining practices, Nyaradzo Mutonhori, project manager at Planet Gold Zimbabwe, urged young people to take a leading role in advocating for environmentally responsible practices.
“Zimbabwe’s artisanal and small-scale miners are largely young people. By championing safer and greener mining methods, youth can help protect communities and ecosystems while also securing livelihoods,” she said.
The symposium ended with a collective call for youth mainstreaming in mining policies, creation of mentorship and skills development programmes, and strengthening of partnerships between Government, civil society and private players, to ensure young people are not passive beneficiaries but active shapers of the extractive sector.
As the Alternative Mining Indaba continues, the message from the youth was clear — their inclusion is not optional but essential for the future of Zimbabwe’s mining industry, an agenda that is finding resonance not only locally, but across the region and beyond.
