Centre for Research and Development (CRD, Zimbabwe)

CRD is a legally registered Trust under Zimbabwe’s PVO Act (2006), based in Manicaland Province. Its mission is to empower communities to participate actively in governance around natural resources, ensuring accountability, rights protection, and freedoms. CRD’s work began in 2006 with civic education in districts like Mutare, Nyanga, Chimanimani, and Mutasa, partnering with organisations such as ZLHR.

CRD implements programmes across mining and natural resource governance, public service delivery, climate action, civic education, peacebuilding, gender equality, economic governance, and land/community rights. It monitors and exposes harmful mining practices (e.g., illegal artisanal mining, environmental degradation, human fatalities), advocates for legislative reforms, and promotes transparency and accountability. Through citizen scorecards, audits, and public engagement, CRD enhances local governance, fiscal autonomy, and service delivery.

The organisation raises awareness on environmental damage, encourages audits, supports sustainable livelihoods, and promotes safe mining practices. It trains communities on leadership, conflict resolution, and civic participation, while empowering women to engage fully in decision-making. CRD also addresses illicit revenue flows, advocates for land tenure security, and collaborates with community-based organisations (CBOs) like Penhalonga Community Development Trust and Chimanimani Development Trust.

CRD combines research, documentation, grassroots mobilisation, policy advocacy, and media campaigns to amplify community voices. Its work has documented human rights abuses, environmental harm, and revenue leakages, and used legal avenues to enforce accountability. Key challenges include weak enforcement, political interference, unsafe mining practices, and illicit trade threatening both communities and state revenues.