The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Zimbabwe: an appraisal of prospects and challenges

This paper discusses the prospects of Zimbabwe adopting the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). It evaluates the preconditions – the country’s legal and institutional readiness – while engaging with the benefits of the EITI. Zimbabwe has struggled to maximise the benefits from its mineral resources due to a weak and outdated legal framework that does not sufficiently promote transparency and accountability. It is posited that adopting initiatives like the EITI may be a first step towards ensuring the country benefits from its resources. These challenges are unlikely to be cured by the EITI per se. The current political, economic and legal environment is not ideal given the institutional weaknesses and global political pressures, such as smart sanctions, that make joining the EITI legally sound but politically imprudent. Strong constitutional traditions, effective law enforcement, supportive relationships between government and civil society (civic engagement), and regulation embedded in elements of the EITI standard could have a positive impact.