While the Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe (UMP) Rural District Council has won praise for gazetting the Mining and Mineral Panning By-Laws under Statutory Instrument 75 of 2025, questions remain about how councils across Zimbabwe manage the funds collected from miners.
The by-laws require miners to pay an environmental rehabilitation levy, which will finance the restoration of land degraded by mining. However, stakeholders say rehabilitation alone should not be used as a blanket shield by councils. Communities expect transparency in how mining levies are used, and that local authorities invest meaningfully in infrastructure such as road networks, clinics, schools, and water systems.
Rural District Councils (RDCs) have always collected millions in mining levies with little visible development to show for it. Roads to most of the mining sites are in a sorry state, and without strict accountability measures, the new Environmental Rehabilitation Fund risks becoming another avenue for opaque spending.
“The money must not just disappear under the cover of ‘rehabilitation.’ Councils should openly publish the amount they collect from miners, how the money is spent, and ensure it directly benefits the community. Mines and Miners are always blamed for a lack of development, yet we pay our dues,” said an artisanal miner who requested anonymity.
Environmental stewardship remains crucial, but observers argue it should go hand in hand with local development. Road networks in many mining districts remain in poor condition, despite councils collecting levies for years. Mining proceeds must bring visible transformation.
Mines are often blamed for the lack of development in the communities where they operate, yet they regularly pay prescribed RDC fees. What RDCs choose to do with these funds should be communities’ focus.
A Call for Accountability
As Zimbabwe’s mining sector grows, RDCs are expected to play a central role in ensuring that benefits filter down to the grassroots. The government must tighten oversight. Every dollar collected through levies, whether for land rehabilitation or other obligations, must be accounted for.
Only with transparency and genuine development can rural communities fully support the spirit of the new by-laws. Otherwise, show us where the money is going.
