Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura said mining houses should comply immediately, arguing that Zimbabweans must occupy decision-making positions in a sector built on the country’s natural resources.

Dr Kambamura said senior and middle management staff of gold mines and all other mines “must be constituted of 98% Zimbabweans”, citing the Mines and Minerals Act and the Mining Management and Safety Regulations of 1990 as the legal basis. He also warned that companies could face fines, licence suspension or loss of claims for non-compliance.

The directive applies across the mining industry, including gold and lithium operations, where foreign investment has expanded sharply in recent years with China being the biggest investor.

Corporate lawyers that spoke to Zim Now said the minister’s pronouncement, by itself, is not enough to create a detailed binding localisation rule covering every mine, every management grade and every deadline.

“While the Mines and Minerals Act gives the minister power to make regulations for the proper and efficient management and working of mining locations, quarries and mining operations, and also allows regulations dealing with supervision of labour welfare, safety and health, mine management and related administrative matters, the directive needs to be backed by a gazetted statutory instrument or detailed regulations spelling out the practical issues that are currently unclear,” said one lawyer. The lawyer said that stakeholder engagement on implementation is crucial to avoid a debacle.

Another lawyer said that there will have to be a schedule detailing the affected positions: “Those details matter. What exactly counts as “senior” or “middle” management? Does the rule apply to the mine manager, finance director, chief metallurgist, plant manager, safety officer, human resources manager, procurement head, laboratory manager and expatriate technical adviser? Does it apply per mine, per company, per mining claim, or per operating site?” the legal expert queried.

Labour organisations welcomed the move saying it would do much to create high level local jobs thus ensuring more value for ordinary people from the national resources. But several questioned the “immediate compliance” saying it is a political statement, not ideal labour practice.

“Obviously all people in such positions have contracts and can’t just be fired “immediately. There is need to have policies that indicate that policymakers are not just making rash announcements without considering everything from all angles,” said one leader of a labour organisation.

He went on to say that mines are regulated environments where some positions require practical experience with positions like qualified engineer, surveyor, ventilation officer or metallurgist requiring more than just certification. That means the country may need a proper skills audit before a blanket 98 percent rule is enforced in a way that disrupts production or creates paper compliance.

The labour leader said there is also the danger of nepotism coming into play and the jobs will just be given to the connected people rather than ordinary citizens. “We have already seen it happening. Politicians and senior government officials place their own relatives in the cushy positions, some of them with questionable competency, but they are there in return for protection,” the labour leader said. 

The Zimbabwe School of Mines offers training in mining geology, mine surveying, mining engineering, mining engineering shaft technician work, metallurgical assaying, metallurgical engineering, mine ventilation and environmental engineering, small-scale mining, and gemstone cutting and polishing. Midlands State University also offers mining-related degrees, including Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Applied Geology and Exploration Geophysics.

The directive lands at a sensitive moment for investors. Zimbabwe has been trying to attract capital into mining, energy and infrastructure, while at the same time pushing beneficiation and greater local participation. The 2025 Mines and Minerals Bill, published in June 2025, also seeks to modernise the mining law and includes provisions on indigenisation and localisation at the primary mining level.

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