Creating a Legislative Framework to Govern Mining in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's Parliament may soon be called to debate the draft Mines and Mineral Amendment Bill 2010 or an alternative "Diamond Act." As drafted, the bill offers improvements, but questions remain as to whether these fixes go far enough. Instituting a national mining policy would help define a shared national vision for the mining industry, set benchmarks against which to measure the impact of new mining reforms, and promote coherence in the laws, policies and institutions governing the sector. A briefing paper from RWI reviews five sections of the draft bill and identifies issues for further inquiry.