ENVIRONMENTAL pressure groups have called on government to adopt and endorse United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which help identify, prevent and redress human rights abuses by companies.
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The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) and the Centre for Research and Development (CRD) said the framework was good for government and mining firms in that it defined the responsibilities of companies and governments in preventing human rights abuses by businesses to protect citizens.
“Zela and CRD call on the government and mining companies operating in Zimbabwe to adopt and endorse the UNGPs, which are a set of guidelines for states and companies to identify, prevent and redress human rights abuses committed by businesses in their operations,” Zela said.
“In 2008, the UN endorsed the protect, respect and remedy framework for business and human rights, which defines the responsibilities of companies, civic society and governments to protect their citizens from human rights abuses.”
They said UNGPs were relevant to Zimbabwe’s mining sector due to its potential to contribute to economic recovery, stabilisation and eventual growth.
“According to the World Bank, export earnings from the mining sector in Zimbabwe are expected to rise from $2,6 billion in 2012 to $12 billion by 2018. Despite the potential of these revenues to contribute to economic development, the mining sector in Zimbabwe has been plagued by allegations of gross human rights abuses of communities and mine workers, among other challenges,” the organisations added.
Some of the human rights violations by companies included civil, political, environmental, economic, social and cultural rights.
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Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Christopher Mushohwe recently told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment that mining companies in Chiadzwa were violating cultural rights of people by disturbing ancestral sites and graveyards.
“The people of Chiadzwa were evicted and they left remains of their grandparents and have not been given compensation,” Mushohwe said.
“We are an African people and we respect our dead, and we cannot say it is okay when we have caterpillars scooping our ancestors’ bones.”
Zela and the CRD said government should revise existing laws and policies regarding human rights to ensure protection of citizens.