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In an effort to ensure the mining industry has solid, data-driven research on how communities perceive their operations, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon Winston Chitando, has directed the Chamber of Mines to conduct a parallel report to its annual State of the Mining Industry survey, this one focusing entirely on the community perspective, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
This landmark instruction, delivered at the State of the Mining Industry Report 2026 event on Wednesday, signals a fundamental shift in the government’s approach, placing a mining company’s social licence to operate on par with its economic and technical performance.
Minister Chitando’s mandate challenges the industry to move beyond internal assessments and actively listen to the voices of those most affected by mining activities.
He emphasised that this proposed “state of the community survey” is critical for diagnosing issues, holding poor performers accountable, and ultimately safeguarding the entire sector’s reputation.
The initiative represents a proactive move to bridge the growing trust gap between powerful mining corporations and local populations, ensuring that the wealth extracted from the earth translates into tangible benefits for those on the surface.
Minister Chitando structured his remarks around six pivotal comments that collectively frame a new expectations landscape for Zimbabwe’s mining sector. While acknowledging the Chamber’s organisational excellence and the importance of its annual survey, the Minister quickly pivoted to what he termed “the spirit behind the survey” and the critical question of “what happens after?”
His most significant directive came in his sixth and final point, where he explicitly called for a fundamental expansion of the Chamber’s reporting framework: “It’s very good that you’ve done this to take up the industry survey. But I think at some stage, let’s also have a state of the community survey on how they are affected by mining… Very important that at some stage, we also have the survey… to see what the communities out there think of mining companies.”
Minister Chitando introduced a crucial concept of collective industry responsibility, warning mining companies against complacency: “If you are company A and you believe you are a good social citizen, what is being done by company B, which is not a good social citizen, will change what you are doing as company A… No, it affects you because the social licence is not only local, but it is also national and international.”
This perspective fundamentally challenges the mining industry to evolve from isolated corporate social responsibility projects to establishing industry-wide standards that protect the sector’s collective reputation and social licence.
Zimbabwe’s mining sector stands as a critical economic pillar, with 2024 mineral exports reaching approximately US$6.1 billion, primarily anchored on platinum group metals (PGMs), gold, lithium, diamonds, and chrome. The industry directly employs over 45,000 people, with thousands more engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining operations that supplied 65% of Zimbabwe’s record 36.48 tonnes of gold production in 2024.
The government projects continued growth of 5.9% in 2026, supported by firm global gold prices and strong performance in key mineral sub-sectors. This robust performance makes mining indispensable to Zimbabwe’s economic trajectory, but also underscores why ensuring communities share in these benefits is both an economic and moral imperative.
Zimbabwe’s mining regulatory environment is poised for significant transformation with the pending Mines and Minerals Bill, published in the Government Gazette on 25 June 2025. This legislation aims to replace the outdated Mines and Minerals Act enacted in 1961, with several provisions directly addressing community and environmental concerns.
The proposed bill includes strengthened environmental provisions, requiring “holders of mining rights to work their claims rather than allowing them to preserve their title by paying annual fees” and mandating that “miners participate in funds and make other provisions to meet the cost of restoring the environment when their mining operations come to an end.”
The bill also introduces the concept of “strategic minerals” with special conditions negotiated between the Minister and the State. This classification, likely encompassing lithium and other critical minerals, reflects both the economic importance and the need for heightened responsibility in extracting these resources.
The global mining industry is increasingly recognising that community engagement isn’t optional but fundamental to sustainable operations. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) exemplifies this shift, founded on the belief that “every individual impacted by mining should have a say in how responsible mining is defined and measured.”
This approach acknowledges what industry leaders have increasingly recognised: mining’s social licence depends on meaningful community participation throughout the mining lifecycle, from exploration to closure and rehabilitation.
The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) frames responsible mining as practices that “prioritise environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and ethical governance throughout the entire mining lifecycle.” This includes “avoiding, minimising and mitigating environmental impacts, respecting human rights, ensuring worker safety, engaging with communities, and fostering long-term social and economic development.”
Modern mining operations in other jurisdictions demonstrate how community engagement transforms potential conflicts into partnerships. As the National Mining Association notes, “Responsible U.S. mining means protecting land, water and wildlife, and ensuring that operations have a positive impact on the people who live and work nearby.”
Under the Second Republic, Zimbabwe has increasingly emphasised local beneficiation and value addition as central to its mining strategy. As Minister Chitando stated in another address, “Demand for critical minerals is rising, and we are open to partnerships interested in extraction and local value addition and beneficiation of these minerals.”
The 2026 Budget Strategy Paper reinforces this commitment, noting that “Priority will also be on promoting local value addition and beneficiation through upgrading local processing and refining capacity of minerals into semi-finished and finished products.” This strategic shift aims to foster industrial hubs and develop value chains that maximise domestic economic benefits while reducing reliance on raw mineral exports.
Minister Chitando has highlighted that “under the Second Republic, Zimbabwe encourages sustainable mining practices,” noting that in 2024, President Mnangagwa launched phase one of the responsible mining initiative, which “entails that all mining operations should abide by the laws of the country, particularly those related to the environment and social responsibility.”
The Sabi Star lithium project in Manicaland offers a compelling case study in how modern mining can potentially benefit local communities. By 2026, the project is projected to create between 1,300 and 2,500 direct jobs, representing a 35% growth in local employment. Beyond employment, the operation has stimulated major upgrades in “roads, energy grid, and water systems benefiting both mining and surrounding agricultural communities.”
The project implements advanced environmental practices, including water recycling technologies that reduce water use by 30% and tailings management that reduces waste by 40% compared to conventional approaches. These practices demonstrate how modern mining operations can minimise their environmental footprint while maintaining economic viability.
The integration of satellite and AI monitoring technologies enables “precision mapping of the lithium-bearing zones, real-time surveillance, and resource optimisation,” representing the kind of technological innovation that can make mining more efficient and environmentally responsible.
Minister Chitando’s call for a “state of the community survey” represents more than a simple request for additional data; it signals a fundamental reorientation of how Zimbabwe’s government conceptualises mining success. No longer measured solely by production volumes and export earnings, the industry’s performance must now include community well-being and social acceptance as core metrics.
The Chamber of Mines faces a critical decision: embrace this challenge as an opportunity to strengthen the sector’s social licence and long-term sustainability, or resist and risk increasing regulatory pressure and community opposition. The Minister’s closing reassurance that “we are going to engage to ensure that we have a mining environment which is the right medium for the success of the industry” suggests a partnership approach, but one with clear expectations.
For Zimbabwe’s mining sector, the path forward is clear: listen to communities, measure what matters to them, and transform operations to demonstrate that mineral wealth can coexist with community wellbeing. In doing so, Zimbabwe has the potential to become not just a “tried and tested mining jurisdiction” in economic terms, but a global leader in community-centred mineral development that other nations might emulate.
The minerals beneath Zimbabwe’s soil belong to its people; the industry that extracts them must now prove it serves those same people. Minister Chitando has issued the challenge—the Chamber’s response will shape Zimbabwe’s mining legacy for generations to come.
