Miners in Mat South call for a bottom-up approach in implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, to combat corruption in the mining communities.

Artisanal and Small Scale Miners (ASSM) and women in mining in Mat South have implored ZACC to use a bottom up approach in implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) 2020-2024, to ensure that miners identify with opportunities in the strategy at a local level, and encourage their active participation in combatting corrupt practices and addressing grey areas in the mining sector, which have made them to be vulnerable and become a threat to sustainable development in mineral rich communities in the province.

This came out during the NACS Outreach Meetings, that were recently conducted by Community Youth Development Trust (CYDT) in collaboration with Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and in partnership with Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), in the mining districts of Gwanda, Umzingwane and Matobo. The Outreach meetings sought to ensure that Miners and stakeholders in the mining sector fully understood the contents of the NACS and its relation to combating corruption in the mining communities and assuring miners and victims of corruption on their protection hence take a leading role in exposing corruption and giving evidence thereof.

As such the meetings, comprised of the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Mat South provincial office, artisanal and small scale miners, Small Scale Miners Association, EMA, whistle-blowers, traditional leaders, TIZ, ZRP. This was done to ensure inclusivity and consultative debate spaces that brought different perspectives and experiences from stakeholders in the mining sector in relation to the NACS.

One of the key outcomes of the Outreach Meetings from the stakeholders, were the testimonials cases in the mining sector, that were highlighted by miners and stakeholders. In Matobo and Mzingwane districts miners were given contacts and channels to approach in reporting or giving their testimonials to ZACC. This approach was adopted due to the severity and risks associated in derailing investigations and efforts in addressing the cases, that the miners wanted to share in the platforms.

It was highly noted that in the NACS, there was lack of harmony with Ministry of Mines in addressing some of the grey areas in mining sector, facilitating increased cooperation and integration of programs between government agencies and other relevant bodies at provincial and local authority level, to combat criminality in mining communities. Some of the grey areas, highlighted by stakeholders were relating to corrupt practices at administrative level by individuals in the mines offices, and catch and release syndrome on perpetrators of corruption by law enforcement agents. The ZACC through its NACS Steering Committee was challenged to clear the backlog of corruption cases at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) which was highlighted as one of the, challenges hampering efforts around combating corruption in the country.

It was also imperative to note collectiveness by stakeholders and miners, in lobbying ZACC to localize the strategy, through decentralization of offices, to encourage active participation by miners and whistle-blowers in reporting corruption cases. This was highlighted as a bottom up approach that would, ensure speedy process in addressing corruption cases affecting miners in their districts. These sentiments were shared from the backdrop, that there were Corruption Cases in the mining districts that were not addressed in the Mining districts, due to lack of accessibility and visibility of ZACC in the local communities. In response, ZACC shared that, they were in the process of decentralizing their offices in Mat South, and further into districts levels, to achieve strategic objectives of the NACS.

The Strategic objectives of the NACS include

• Support citizen empowerment and awareness of their rights and responsibilities relevant to the fight against corruption.
• Enhance the structures for deterrence, detection, adherence, and enforcement through improved compliance with anti-corruption and integrity management obligations and mechanisms across sectors.
• Increase public demand for transparency and accountability and rejection of corruption in government offices, ministries, agencies and State-owned enterprises (SOEs)/parastatals, public institutions, media houses and the private sector.
• Ensure protection of whistle-blowers and victims of corruption, thereby encouraging active participation in anti-corruption efforts by members of the public.
• Recover assets and proceeds from corruption crimes, and compensate damages inflicted on the state and corruption victims.
• Increased level of political parties’ transparency, political will, and accountability

Recommendations from Stakeholders on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy to ZACC

1. Decentralization of ZACC offices to Mat South Province and districts.
2. Facilitate the passing of the Whistle-Blower Act by year end to protect, strengthen and motivate efforts by whistle-blowers in documenting and reporting corruption cases.
3. Miners to report their testimonials cases to ZACC through proper channels shared by the ZACC in the meetings.
4. Use a bottom up approach and localize the NACS so as to facilitate increased cooperation and integration of programs between government agencies and other relevant bodies at provincial and local authority level.
5. NACS Steering Committee to speedily address pending matters at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)

Conclusion

As the country is moving towards achieving a US dollar12 billion mining revenue by 2023 and following the National Development Strategy (NDS1) 2021-205 strategy to facilitate the inclusive and sustainable mining sector investments that are aimed at catapulting the country’s ability to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhancing mineral beneficiation and value addition through creation of value chains that anchor the national reindustrialisation policy. The fight against corruption must therefore remain a priority for the Government of Zimbabwe if the country is going to achieve the SDGs and the country’s Vision 2030 (UpperMiddle Income Economy by 2030).