Tiyani Hahlani
Centre News Hub
Masvingo-The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), in partnership with the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), recently trained mining-affected communities on Public Finance Management (PFM) as part of efforts to strengthen citizen oversight over public resources.
The training, held under the Follow The Money Campaign, brought together community members from mining areas, people living with disabilities, and students to broaden participation in public finance governance and improve access to information on resource management.
Speaking with ZIMCODD, Advocacy Officer, and Nqobizitha Mlambo said the initiative seeks to address persistent gaps between mineral extraction and community development outcomes.
“The decision is anchored in the persistent governance gap between resource extraction and public benefit,” said Mlambo.
He said that despite existing public finance management and decentralisation frameworks, implementation challenges continue to limit equitable development in mining communities.
Mlambo said the training is timely as issues of fiscal transparency, devolution, and natural resource governance are increasingly central in national policy discussions.
He said participants were equipped with knowledge on the national budget process, management of public funds, illicit financial flows in the extractive sector, and how mining revenues can support local development.
“We want communities to be able to interpret and engage with public finance processes,” he said.
Mlambo added that participants were also trained on budget analysis, expenditure tracking, and community monitoring tools aimed at strengthening accountability.
He raised concern over illicit financial flows in the extractive sector, citing trade mis-invoicing, profit shifting, and weak regulatory enforcement as major drivers of revenue loss.
“At community level, this reduces resources for service delivery and infrastructure, while at national level it weakens domestic resource mobilisation,” he said.
He also highlighted structural challenges including weak institutional coordination, lack of transparency in mining contracts, and limited community participation in decision-making processes.
Mlambo said ZIMCODD hopes the training will strengthen citizen-led accountability and improve engagement between communities, government, and mining companies.
A Bikita Minerals community member said the training had empowered residents with practical knowledge on how to monitor public funds.
“We are now equipped with knowledge on how best we can follow the money and understand how mining resources should benefit our communities,” the community member said.
The programme is part of ZIMCODD’s broader Follow The Money Campaign, which promotes transparency and accountability in public finance management
