EXTRACTIVES IN ZIMBABWE

Recommendations

Info

Amplifying Women Miners’ Voices-Reflections on the mining licencing regime and ease/lack thereof of doing business for women By Network of African Business Women (NABW) ii right to mine the mineral resource for 2 FOREWORD This book contains stories of women in Zimbabwe and their interactions with the mining sector. It is a compilation of stories from members of the Platform on Gender and Extractives, spearheaded by OXFAM, UN Women and ZELA. The stories are inspired by the need for constant and sustained dialogue on gender, women’s rights and the extractives as well as mobilise interest and participation of civil society organisations. Mwatsara Beta, full story on page 7 As Women in business, we are making a fervent call to amplify our voices for economic social and environmental justice. This call is premised on the reality that we are a significant representation of citizenry with equal entitlements to the natural resources in our country. In the mining sector, a few of us now have mining claims or rights, and yet we remain largely disenfranchised because we lack information, access to capital and markets. To be frank, we also have not yet mastered the mining gameplan! This is against the backdrop of Zimbabwe continuing to rank low in terms of ease of doing business. In the World Bank’s Doing Business’ report 2017: Equal Opportunity for All, Zimbabwe was ranked 161 out of 190 economies that were assessed on various parameters. The majority of women miners are currently focusing on the gold and chrome mining sectors. I am one of these women and this is my story. Whilst most people were complaining about the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe at the peak of the crisis in 2007, I had a very clear vision of setting up a woman-owned gemstone centre with mining courses for women. In my quest to realise my dream, I saw opportunity, and began to apply for mining claims using my Zimbabwe Dollars before the dollarization in 2009. It was a straightforward process of going to Ministry of Mines, following the set procedures for prospecting and registering a mining claim. With the knowledge that the mining sector is regulated by the Ministry of Mines, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and the Chamber of Mines, I avoided middlemen who promised to fast-track the process on my behalf. In order to acquire mineral rights one simply needed to make an application to the Mining Commissioner of the relevant jurisdiction. I studied the Mines and Minerals Act, which was enacted in 1961. As a mining claim holder, I had the conferred exclusive which the claim was registered and to prospect for other minerals on the claim. Whilst my story has a classic silver lining due to my access to information, there are many barriers for women to enter into the sector. Many women are duped of their hard earned income as they seek to acquire mining claims. Archived geological reports reflect predominately male-owned claims. On the other hand, females in leadership within large mining institutions remain very low in numbers, with the exception of companies such as Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe which subscribes to their global award-winning Inclusion and Diversity Policy and programmes, Mimosa and Zimplats. My desire to break this glass ceiling grew in 2012, when the Ministry of Mines announced a call for coal special grant applications. The Secretary for Mines and Mining Development in terms of part XIX of the Act issues a special grant. It is approved when the applicant furnishes a sketch plan of the area and a work programme. The President can also issue the special grant in terms of part XX of the Act on approval. The applicant will have to meet the requirements of furnishing information of full financial status, full information on technical expertise, particulars of guarantees and minerals to be in addition to the requirements of a special grant issues in terms of part XIX. Within 72 hours before the special grant application deadline in May 2012, a consortium of women from all walks of life had mobilised the US$100 000 required to register a coal concession in Hwange. I was one of these women. Some quickly disposed of assets in order to participate in this life-changing investment opportunity. To this day, in March 2017, five years later, we are waiting graciously for the special grant to be approved. We have done Compiled by Organisations in the Platform on Gender and Extractives
Gender and Extractives in Zimbabwe A collection of stories of women and their experiences what we know is required- secured serious investors, presented a bankable business plan and worked with the country’s top technical experts in the field in compliance with the Ministry of Mines requirements. Others came after us and had their special grants approved. We are waiting-as women, we are patient and prayerful. That is what we know best. Once approved, this will be the first large scale coal mining enterprise run and led by women in Zimbabwe, with phenomenal benefits for the surrounding communities. This is our game-changer as women of Zimbabwe. My firm belief is that given an opportunity, we can transform ‘herstory’ of women as serious players in the mining sector at all levels. We will employ women and young people, as well as ensure that all get the full extent of compensation for the work that we do. We have engaged the Ministry of Mines at the highest level, and will not give up. The Chief of Lubimbi is waiting for us to start our operations in his area, and was excited that for the first time in history, a group of courageous women would create employment in his area through coal mining. Clearly, gender sensitive mining sector reforms are a prerequisite to easing doing business in Zimbabwe. The Platform on Gender and Extractives produced a detailed position paper in March 2016 on key aspirations for the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill. We embarked on a comprehensive analysis of the draft Bill before it was gazetted. Being a heterogeneous group, it was imperative to have different interests requiring different interventions represented. We realised a common desire as women to achieve more inclusion across the mining value chain, in pursuit of sustainable wealth creation. One may argue that the current legal, policy and institutional framework has significantly limited the participation of women in the mining sector. On the other hand, we ourselves have limiting beliefs as women. The complexity of the situation is that the ease of doing business, or lack of therein is not as straight-cut in the mining sector. This narrative above paints a picture of mixed blessings. Whilst knowledge is power, it can also be a source of frustration. Mining is no longer a sojourn - women need to be empowered and strategically positioned to influence mining sector reform processes in order to maximise on short and long term benefits. This is enshrined in ZIMASSET (and broad based women’s economic empowerment framework) which among other things seeks to empower women through specific and concrete gender mainstreaming policies and programmes in all economic sectors. To tap into these entitlements, it requires an extraordinary dose of tenacity and social intelligence. The amendments to the Mines and Minerals Act were crafted with the indigenous citizens in mind, focusing on empowering the previously disadvantaged Zimbabweans, through enabling their control and ownership of the rich mineral resources in Zimbabwe. Sections 416 and 417 of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill provide for the indigenization of existing and future holdings of mining rights and relates both to those mining rights that are held by mining companies engaged in extracting or exploiting any strategic energy minerals or precious minerals and other mining rights held by other persons or entities… .a controlling interest in all mining enterprises must eventually be held by the State or indigenous persons” 1 . As a platform, we have done our best to ensure that gender issues and women’s empowerment are provided for within the bill. We now need to unpack the ease of doing business environment for those of us who are serious about growing beyond artisanal and small scale mining. WIPHOLD in South Africa is a case study of a successful women-led model. There are many others. Several other key processes necessary for the revitalization of the mining sector have been identified including policy and legislative reforms; recapitalization of the sector; value addition and mineral beneficiation and the mechanization of the small scale mining subsector. The glaring gender differences between women and men must be considered comprehensively in the extractives sector, with us women miners in mind- we who have dared to dream BIG. I remain optimistic about empowering women beyond rhetoric. Our Government is already doing a lot to achieve this, especially in view of the easing up of mining requirements for women in chrome and gold mining. For us with major interests in coal and gemstones mining, we wait for the day when we will tell future generations about the role we played to change the lives of communities, and transform our nation. 1 Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill, 2007, page ix. Effects Of Mining On Women Living In Hwange By Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) iii Hwange is a small town in Zimbabwe Situated on the cape to cairo link. Its core business is coal mining, which is digging through the earth extracting coal and by-products. Coal mining started in early 1894 by white settlers. 3 Picture showing coal mining in Hwange Compiled by Organisations in the Platform on Gender and Extractives
Page 1: GENDER AND EXTRACTIVES IN ZIMBABWE
Page 5 and 6: Gender and Extractives in Zimbabwe

EXTRACTIVES IN ZIMBABWE

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?