13 September 2022
14h00 – 15h30
Extractive industry indigenisation, unfulfilled pledges and mining-induced displacement vulnerabilities: The case of internally displaced persons in Arda Transau, Zimbabwe
Presenter: Kennedy Manduna
Discussant: Dr Hibst Kassa
Abstract
The discovery of diamonds in 2006 in Marange’s Chiadzwa area and extractive industry indigenisation in Zimbabwe beginning in 2010 has led to an expanding number of mining-induced internally displaced persons in the country. To investigate, the case of villagers from Chiadzwa resettled on the
Agricultural Rural Development Authority (Arda) Transau farm in Odzi is considered. This study is based on documentary analysis as well as in-depth interviews conducted with IDPs in Arda Transau farm and interviews conducted with selected key informants. This presentation examines the extent to which these displacements, and wider unfulfilled indigenisation and displacement promises, have twice robbed the victims. Firstly, the indigenisation pledges and displacement promises remain, to this day, significantly unfulfilled. Secondly, as the displacements were carried out at the peak of extractive industry indigenisation (between 2009 and 2011), whose intention was to empower the mining communities and their residents; the displacement robbed them of that empowerment. How and why did the outcomes of the Chiadzwa MIDR measures and extractive industry indigenisation increase the vulnerabilities of the IDPs? This paper finds that non-fulfilment of both indigenisation pledges and displacement promises significantly disrupted the lives, livelihoods and social fabric of the victims, leading to widespread social disarticulation, landlessness, economic deprivation, vagabondage, food insecurity, joblessness and to some extent, objectification. The paper also contributes to emergent literature on mining-induced displacement studies.
