STAKEHOLDERS in the mining sector have urged Parliament to ensure that the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill currently before the House includes clauses that will protect indigenous communities from losing their ancestral land to mining investors.
Contributing to a Twitter space discussion by Open Parly on benefits and drawbacks of the Mines and Minerals Bill, environmental experts saying it did not include clauses that effectively regulate mining activities.
Legislative watchdog Veritas official Paidamoyo Muzulu said: “We hope that this will be addressed in the Bill before it becomes law and that Parliament will consider giving certain rights to local communities where minerals are found or are being extracted.”
He said clauses that state that all communal land is vested in the Office of the President disadvantage communities in communal areas who should have an input before any mining company is given rights to mine.
Other participants demanded that locals must also be employed by mining companies operating in their area.
Centre for Natural Resource Governance’s gender and extractives officer Nyasha Mutiwekuziva said the Bill does not address farmer and miner conflicts.
“The Bill does not adequately address the issue of illegal artisanal miners. Most problems in the mining sector are brought about by artisanal miners,” Mutiwekuziva said.
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