Zimbabwe’s mining sector has come under parliamentary scrutiny as the Parliament of Zimbabwe intensifies oversight on public spending and policy implementation within one of the country’s most strategic industries. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development is receiving oral evidence from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development following issues raised in the Ministry’s 2025 Budget Performance Reports.
The engagement reflects Parliament’s mandate to interrogate how allocated resources are being utilised, particularly in a sector that contributes more than 70 percent of Zimbabwe’s export earnings and remains central to fiscal revenues and foreign currency generation.
Lawmakers are expected to assess whether budget allocations have translated into measurable outputs, including production growth, regulatory enforcement, and investment facilitation.
Parliament said the process is part of its oversight function “to examine Government expenditure, assess policy implementation, and ensure accountability, transparency, and effective utilisation of public resources in the mining sector,” placing emphasis on outcomes rather than allocations alone.
The review comes against the backdrop of ambitious national targets, including the push toward a US$12 billion mining economy, which has been driven by expansion in gold, lithium, and platinum production.
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However, performance has been uneven across sub-sectors, with challenges including power shortages, foreign currency constraints, and gaps in regulatory compliance affecting output and revenue realisation.
Budget performance reviews are also expected to highlight issues around revenue leakages, particularly in gold and artisanal mining, where formalisation remains incomplete. While small-scale miners account for over 60 percent of gold deliveries, monitoring and accountability mechanisms in the segment continue to face limitations.
The outcome of the hearings could shape future budget allocations and policy adjustments, particularly in areas such as geological exploration, mining formalisation, and value addition.
Strengthening oversight is increasingly seen as critical to ensuring that resource revenues translate into broader economic gains, rather than remaining concentrated within extractive activities.
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