An assessment of sustainability reporting as a tool for promoting corporate accountability by selected mining companies in Zimbabwe. created by Mutuso Dhliwayo and Michelle N Chitando

Zimbabwean mining companies have been accused of failing to respect the human rights of the communities in which they operate. The increasing need for corporate accountability in high-risk sectors like mining and the growing sustainability discourse have seen sustainability reporting gaining prominence. The objective of this article was to assess whether sustainability reporting, as it is conducted by Zimplats, Rio Zimbabwe and Unki mine, is a tool for promoting corporate accountability. To achieve this, the article provides a conceptual understating of corporate accountability and its relationship with sustainability reporting. It also looks at the legal developments at national, regional, and international levels related to the two concepts. Having set thebackground, the article proceeds to assess the sustainability reports published by Zimplats, Rio Zimbabwe and Unki. The assessment is based on five themes, which are governance and policy commitments, respect for human rights and conducting due diligence,grievance redress mechanism, and access to remedies and practices to prevent human rights impacts responses to allegations of serious negative impacts on human rights. The article concludes that the current framework of sustainability reporting falls short of making it an effective tool for corporate accountability, and it proffers policy, institutional and implementation recommendations for the government and other stakeholders.