Gwanda community monitors have welcomed the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Follow the Money training which has seen the local citizens being capacitated on how they can effectively track mineral resource management and human rights violations in the mining sector. The community members drawn from the mining town which prides itself of mineral resources such as gold have appreciated the training highlighting that the knowledge gained will enable them to detect and follow up cases of misuse of extractive sector revenues while documenting from an informed point of view.
Speaking during the training held on Wednesday the 14th of April 2021, Lungile Masuku of Gwanda Community Economic Justice Trust acknowledged that capacity constraints and lack of knowledge on effective ways to approach duty bearers and hold them to account especially when their Environmental, Economic,Social and Cultural Rights have been infringed has limited the full realization of their rights.
She added that, the Follow the Money training came at an opportune time with ZELA’s Deputy Director,Shamiso Mtisi adding that it is envisaged that the training will contribute to addressing development outcomes associated with capacity constraints and barriers faced by communities and citizens in effectively influencing public resource use and holding the government and mining companies to account.
Follow the Money trainings fall under ZELA’s project dubbed,‘Strengthening Extractive and Natural Resources Sector Transparency and Accountability through Citizen Action and Parliamentary Oversight in Zimbabwe.’ Through this project, the public interest environmental law organisation which is celebrating its two decades this year is committed to strengthening parliamentary, citizens and civil society’s capacity to monitor, take action and play an oversight role over public resource’s management for accountable and democratic social, political and economic development in Zimbabwe.
Source: ZELA
