In this podcast, Acting Chief Marozva Joseph Mudhe dismisses the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultative processes, which are provided for by the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27], as rigged thus meaningless. The act is buttressed by SI 169 of 2024, officially titled the “Environment Management (Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No. 3)”. The SI, issued by the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, amended the Environment Management (Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) Regulations, 2007 (published as Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007), falls under the umbrella of environmental management, which is crucial for mining operations. Mining projects, particularly large-scale ones, are mandated to undergo an EIA before commencement because their operations inherently impact ecosystems through land disturbance, water usage, waste generation, and potential pollution. A key aspect of the SI 169 of 2024, is the requirement to obtain an EIAC from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) before a mining permit or license is granted. However, the traditional leader is of the view that due to other intervening factors, the processes have become box-ticking exercises that do not genuinely take community concerns into consideration.
