Opportunities for Implementing & Monitoring Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Zim's Mining Sector

In 2023, the ZELA commissioned a research titled, ‘Opportunities for Implementing and Monitoring Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Zimbabwe’s Public Procurement Processes in the Mining Sector.’ The Open Government Partnership (OGP) was launched on September 20, 2011, and the OGP approach centers around promoting access to relevant, usable, and timely information about government processes and decisions that have an impact on citizens.
Zimbabwe is not yet a member of OGP, and this animation highlights some of the opportunities for the country should it become a member.
Zimbabwe’s mining sector has become the anchor of the economy, accounting for over 60 percent of the country’s export receipts. However, the public procurement processes in the mining sector have been fraught with several irregularities, attributed to poor management and corrupt activities, as revealed in several reports by the Auditor General in the past decade. In the process, the government has suffered substantial revenue losses, and the mining industry continues to experience revenue leakages through the smuggling of minerals and other illicit acts at a time when social sectors such as health and education are in dire need of funding.
It is envisaged that Zimbabwe will realize improved management and exploitation of its mineral resources and revenues by joining OGP, whose major principles are centered on citizen and civil society engagement as well as transparency and accountability in the way the government conducts its business.