Zimbabwe

This article seeks to unpack the nuanc es of violence in Zimbabwe’s artisanal gold mining sector and how it impacts the wider community. Drawing on data gathered from Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews, the findings indicate that violence in the artisanal gold mining sector is primarily sustained by eco nomic exclusion, a weak regulatory environment, and corrupt security arrangements. To this end, the study utilizes the rational choice model to demonstrate how situational cost–benefit calcu lations shape the choices of militant actors seek ing to profit aggressively from chaos, leading to an upsurge in violence in the gold sector. In this regard, the study argues that economic exclusion and weak regulation create profitable opportuni ties that are protected by corrupt local security ar rangements, resulting in violence, lawlessness, and instability across Zimbabwe’s Midlands gold min ing sector. Given the multisectoral nature of this violence, the research concludes by recommend ing measures aimed at stabilizing the mining sec tor, thereby diffusing artisanal mining violence. Keywords: Artisanal gold mining violence, Mid lands province, rational choice model, border po rosity, Zimbabwe

Economic stability · Gold mining · Militant · Parliament · Situational ethics · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Mining and Resource Management · Natural Resources and Economic Development