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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Youths demand representation in Mines Affairs Board

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BULAWAYO– Youth from various mining communities have called on the  government to include them in the Mines Affairs Body to carter for the needs of the young generation.

This was part of resolutions made during a Youth Symposium on mining organized by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) as a prelude to the Zimbabwe Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI).

The ZAMI, designed as a counter space to the trade and business focused Mining Indaba held for government and business, is an annual forum that is designed for communities to engage with mining companies, government and civil society on key mining issues, including opportunities and challenges the sector pose especially to mining host communities.

Youths want to leverage the current Mines and Minerals Bill that is at the  consultative stage to push for their representation in the decision chain.

ZELA executive director Mutuso Dhliwayo in his keynote address said youths have be sidelined from the decision chain and their participation has been limited in the value chain.

Dhliwayo said ZELA would endeavor to make youth issues central to their programming, as he urged youths to leverage their demographic advantage and the legal basis to be involved in natural resource governance as enshrined in the Constitution.

“Section 20 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, Amendment 20 Act 2013, ‘the state and all its institutions and agencies of government at every level must take reasonable measures including affirmative action programs to ensure that youth (15-35 years) have access to appropriate education and training, have opportunities to associate and to be represented and participate in political, economic and other spheres of life.

“Sub section c, to make sure that the youth are afforded employment and other avenues to economic empowerment, the constitution is very clear on the role the youths are supposed to play in terms of participating in economic development.

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“This a very important step in ensuring that  youths become a key constituency in our programming, within the mining sector usually we look at the impact of mining on communities as if these communities are homogeneous but there are special interests that reflect to the youth.

“The symposium is designed to create space for youth in Zimbabwe especially those from mining communities to come together and engage on various issues that affect them and key issues that will be presented during ZAMI,” said Dhliwayo.

ZELA through its work has identified the need to harness this youth bulge by ensuring that mining sector governance is done to promote development and growth that harnesses the youth demographic dividend.

Dr Jephias Matunhu of Midlands State University said youths bear the brunt of marginalization calling for government to come up with quota systems that ensures youth participation in natural resources value chain.

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“Government should strive for policy consistency to ensure that its programs benefit youths who present the biggest part of the national demographic,”said Dr Matunhu.

He said there should be investment in information dissemination to alert youths of the vast opportunities in the economic markets to ensure that they can leverage for economic development.

“It must be a matter of procedure or law to force companies to work with youths, train them and give them capacity to start their own businesses.

“We are disconnected from the markets because of lack of information we must have information kiosks and even the language is toned down to suit the community needs, opportunities are there but we are just disjointed.

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“Policy inconsistency from ministers is another thorn, they don’t sing the same hymns and this is a challenge in terms of attracting foreign direct investment in the country and ensuring economic development.”

Tichafa Marange from the Diamond Rich Community of Chiadzwa said there was need to ensure youth issues are raised at the apex of decision making in the natural resource governance decision chain.

He said there has been deliberate oversight from government to give special attention to the youths who are also affected by mining activities, as most are not employed.

“We want a stake in the Mines Affairs Board because this is the apex body in terms of governance of our natural resources and youth special interests must be represented and ideally having two representatives male and female to give a gender balance.

“As youths we have special needs because we are the productive sector of the economy and we need to have jobs from mining as well as participating in the mining sector directly,” said Marange.

Some of the keys tasks awarded to the during the symposium include the setting up of quota systems in the issuing of claims to ensure participation of youths, decentralization of decision making as well as affirmative action for youths participation.

The resolution will be crystalized into a position paper that will be presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy before the Bill proceeds through its stages.

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