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In a world where responsible mining is increasingly non-negotiable, the key to a sustainable future may lie not just in stricter policies, but in a single, powerful principle: respect, Chancellor Chidziva, the Deputy Provincial Mining Director for Matabeleland South, said in his address at The Mining Show in Dubai, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
“In this age, respect has to take a leading role,” he stated, anchoring a vision that assigns responsibility to everyone, from global corporations and governments to the smallest artisanal miners.
His insights, shared across two panel discussions, outlined a pragmatic path forward built on this foundational idea.
On the panel for shaping mining policy, Chidziva argued that the industry is moving beyond the “traditional way” of using tax breaks and penalties to enforce compliance. The new driver, he explained, is market-led responsibility.
“The market now is demanding responsibly sourced materials,” Chidziva stated. “If your operations don’t comply… that on its own will disqualify you.”
This shift, he noted, “removes the burden from government” and places the onus on companies to act as respectful stewards of the environment. “It is the duty of everyone, in as much as we’re chasing profits, but it is also your duty to safeguard the environment for the future generations.”
He expanded this call for respect into a plea for global standardisation, arguing that mining the same mineral in Zimbabwe, Brazil, or Kenya should be governed by similar, respectful standards. This ensures a level playing field where the planet’s health is valued equally everywhere.
Chidziva turned his principle of respect toward one of Africa’s most pressing issues on the second panel: artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). He called it a “harsh reality” that cannot be wished away, especially with rising gold prices.
The traditional response of neglect or crackdowns, he suggested, is fundamentally disrespectful. Instead, he outlined a strategy built on recognition and support.
“Governments can only begin by recognising the fact that we’ve got that sector,” he said. By bringing miners into the formal economy through policy, infrastructure, and technical support, we show respect for their livelihood and their safety.
He detailed Zimbabwe’s model of “gold service centres,” which provide artisanal miners with milling services, formal gold buying, safe equipment, and expert guidance. This approach, he explained, respects miners enough to equip them for success, ensuring they can mine “productively, safely and in an environmentally friendly way.”
Chidziva’s presentations converged on a single, powerful idea: the era of mining as a purely extractive industry, answerable only to its bottom line, is over. The new era must be built on respect.
This means respect enforced by the market for the environment, and respect enacted by governments for the people whose lives depend on the sector. By making respect take a leading role, the industry can forge a sustainable path that balances economic growth with the unwavering responsibility we all share for the planet and each other.
