Sammanfattning

There is rising interest in connecting global value chains with sites of extraction to ensure that mineral resources, wherever extracted, are governed to benefit communities. Despite commitments by policymakers and African intergovernmental bodies to governance that does not disenfranchise communities, voices of those affected remain peripheral to mining industry operations. In this article we ask how the extraction of black granite used in grand buildings in the West is experienced by mine-affected people in Zimbabwe's Mutoko District. We seek to bring forth voices of those affected by mineral extraction including its governance processes, to produce an account of mining anthropology rooted in Habermas's lifeworld concept. We show how communities continue to shoulder multiple burdens of black granite extraction without getting its rewards: Broken bridges, damaged roads, dirty air, hazardous living environments and loss of land are some of the key experiences. And the current governance regime characterised by outdated laws, dishonesty, and intimidation of the governed allows the burdens of black granite mining to perpetuate. In conclusion, we note how the marginalised lifeworld contains knowledge, capacity and experiences that must be fully accounted for in reshaping the governance of extraction for the benefit of mine-side communities.

Nyckelord

black granite mining; unequal ecological exchange; lifeworld; resource governance; Zimbabwe

Publicerad i

The Extractive industries and society
2021, Volym: 8, nummer: 4, artikelnummer: 101003

SLU författare

• Oskarsson, Patrik

  • Institutionen för stad och land, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

Globala målen

SDG1 Fattigdom omfattar fler dimensioner än den ekonomiska. Fattigdom innebär bl.a. även brist på frihet, makt, inflytande, hälsa, utbildning och fysisk säkerhet.
SDG9 Bygga motståndskraftig infrastruktur, verka för en inkluderande och hållbar industrialisering samt främja innovation
SDG16 Främja fredliga och inkluderande samhällen för hållbar utveckling, tillhandahålla tillgång till rättvisa för alla samt bygga upp effektiva, och inkluderande institutioner med ansvarsutkrävande på alla nivåer


UKÄ forskningsämne

Tvärvetenskapliga studier
Globaliseringsstudier


Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2021.101003

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/113794