Strengthening community-centered resource governance in Mbire and Muzarabani districts, Zimbabwe

This report by Good Governance Africa and the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) evaluates community-centered resource governance in Zimbabwe's Mbire and Muzarabani districts. It focuses on the Cabora Bassa Basin oil and gas project led by Invictus Energy, which has estimated reserves of 9.25 trillion cubic feet of gas and nearly 300 million barrels of oil. The research, based on fieldwork from 2022 and 2025, identifies significant gaps in community engagement, employment transparency, and infrastructure, warning that without reform, the project risks repeating historical patterns where extractive wealth fails to benefit local populations.

• Community engagement for the Cabora Bassa project has primarily targeted traditional and political leaders, leaving ordinary residents with limited awareness of project details and exploration results. This approach fails to meet Free, Prior, Informed and Continuous Consent principles.
• Local employment opportunities are perceived as being controlled by political affiliation and personal networks (locally termed "Chizivano"), leading to nepotism and the exclusion of qualified residents. In Mbire, only two people were employed at Mukuyu sites, while Muzarabani saw only "a few people" secure positions.
• Extractive activities, specifically gold mining, are linked to severe social disruptions including gender-based domestic violence, child labour, and early marriages. Children in grades six and seven are reportedly dropping out of school to pursue artisanal mining.
• The region faces extreme poverty and acute climate vulnerability, with over 70% of households in Mbire assessed as "highly vulnerable" to flooding. Rainfall patterns have shifted, with rains now arriving in December or January instead of October, which has intensified food insecurity.
• Critical infrastructure in Mbire and Muzarabani is in a state of collapse. Roads are dilapidated, with the Mahuwe to Kanyemba road project largely abandoned after three years. Public education is described as being in a "free-fall state of destruction," and the healthcare sector is characterized as "totally collapsed" or "paralysed."
• Household energy access is limited and environmentally damaging; while firewood is common, it is increasingly prohibited by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) due to deforestation. National grid electricity is unreliable due to loadshedding and dilapidated infrastructure.

APA

Mashingaidze, S., Makururu, F., & Nyarota, D. (n.d.). Strengthening community-centered resource governance in Mbire and Muzarabani districts, Zimbabwe. Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/02/GGA-SATrust-Zimbabwe-Report.pdf

Chicago

Mashingaidze, Sikhululekile, Farai Makururu, and Donald Nyarota. Strengthening community-centered resource governance in Mbire and Muzarabani districts, Zimbabwe. Good Governance Africa, n.d. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/02/GGA-SATrust-Zimbabwe-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mashingaidze |first1=Sikhululekile |last2=Makururu |first2=Farai |last3=Nyarota |first3=Donald |title=Strengthening community-centered resource governance in Mbire and Muzarabani districts, Zimbabwe |publisher=Good Governance Africa |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/02/GGA-SATrust-Zimbabwe-Report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mashingaidzendstrengthening, author = {Mashingaidze, Sikhululekile and Makururu, Farai and Nyarota, Donald}, title = {{Strengthening community-centered resource governance in Mbire and Muzarabani districts, Zimbabwe}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2026/02/GGA-SATrust-Zimbabwe-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }