Mines
and
Mining
Development
Minister
Winston
Chitando
told
Parliament
that
the
Responsible
Mining
Initiative
Part
II
will
strengthen
existing
laws,
increase
inspections,
and
impose
steeper
penalties
for
violators.
The
policy
follows
the
first
phase
of
the
initiative
launched
by
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
in
2023,
which
sought
to
enforce
responsible
and
sustainable
mining
practices,
safeguard
workers
and
communities,
and
align
the
sector
more
closely
with
the
country’s
development
agenda.
Responding
to
questions
in
Parliament
on
Wednesday,
Chitando
reiterated
government’s
ban
on
riverbed
mining
and
pledged
tougher
rules
on
operations
near
sensitive
sites.
“Mining
on
rivers
is
not
allowed
by
the
Government,”
he
said.
“Some
rivers
must
be
rehabilitated,
and
this
will
be
done
under
the
Ministry
of
Agriculture
through
ZINWA.”
The
minister
said
the
new
framework
would
also
introduce
stricter
requirements
around
Environmental
Management
Agency
(EMA)
certification,
which
already
demands
consultations
with
local
and
traditional
leaders
before
projects
can
proceed.
“Policy
measures
will
include
steeper
penalties
for
those
who
break
the
law,”
Mr
Chitando
said.
The
announcement
came
after
MP
Tendayi
Nyabani
raised
concerns
about
the
destruction
of
mountains
through
mining
activities.
Mr
Chitando
said
the
new
policy
would
address
the
issue
by
enforcing
fencing
and
regulated
open-cast
mining
in
approved
areas.
He
added
that
Zimbabwe
must
keep
pace
with
international
standards
on
responsible
resource
extraction.
Global
mining
companies
are
increasingly
expected
to
comply
with
Environmental,
Social
and
Governance
(ESG)
standards,
while
the
European
Union
and
United
States
are
tightening
rules
on
“conflict
minerals”
such
as
gold.
This
has
placed
Zimbabwe’s
gold
and
lithium
exports
under
growing
scrutiny.
“The
Responsible
Mining
Initiative
Part
II
will
ensure
that
all
mining
operations
adhere
strictly
to
national
laws
and
that
those
who
infringe
them
will
face
serious
consequences,”
Chitando
said.
Post
published
in:
Business