Harare- Binga South legislator, Fanuel Cumanzala has called on government to craft policies and laws that prioritise locals in the management and beneficiation of natural resources.

Speaking in parliament recently, Cumanzala lamented Zimbabwe’s outdated policies and laws, which prioritize state and corporate interests over the needs and rights of local communities.

However, this contradicts Section 13(4) of the Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013, which stipulates that local communities should benefit from the natural resources within their areas.

Said Cumanzala:

“In Binga, for example, there are multiple issues concerning access and control over wildlife resources. Chizarira and Chete National Parks are managed by the government, while other conservancies are controlled by private players.

This complex arrangement raises questions about community rights to benefit from these resources and their role in supporting conservation efforts.”

He said the country’s fragmented legal framework further complicates matters where the Communal Lands Act (Chapter 20:04), Rural District Councils Act (Chapter 29:13), and Traditional Leaders Act (Chapter 29:17) each regulate different aspects of natural resource management.

“There is a lack of coordination between these laws, making it difficult to implement effective strategies that uphold community rights.

Community-based initiatives such as the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE), once a promising approach for promoting local participation in wildlife management, have become ineffective in recent years,” he said.

Cumanzala called on government to prioritize effective community engagement and fair benefit-sharing in the governance of wildlife resources.

“Communities must receive direct benefits from the resources they help conserve, rather than bearing the negative impacts without compensation,” he said, adding that it is also necessary to resolve boundary conflicts between national parks and local community lands to facilitate better resource management.

Analysts argue that Zimbabwe’s policy and legislative framework is critical for sustainable natural resource governance, adding that current policies are outdated and need harmonization to ensure they support modern conservation strategies and community rights.

The current imbalance disempowering locals was prevalent during the colonial era (1890-1980), when wildlife resources were heavily exploited for the benefit of the colonial administration.

By 1969, there were already three ranches established for commercial exploitation, often at the expense of local communities.

The Wildlife and Parks Act of 1975 marked a significant shift in wildlife management, as it was introduced to grant European settlers the power to sell, shoot, and trade wildlife for their economic benefit.

This legislation effectively marginalized local communities, who were denied any significant say in the management of resources that had previously sustained them. Post-independence reforms attempted to address some of these historical injustices.

The 1982 amendment to the Wildlife and Parks Act aimed to involve communities to a certain extent, but government control persisted, leading to continued encroachment on community rights and interests.

There is a widespread perception that communities are denied equitable access to the benefits derived from wildlife, which is evident in regions such as the Zambezi Valley.

Cumanzala said despite being rich in wildlife and natural resources, Binga South has not seen a significant improvement in the livelihoods of its local inhabitants.