Toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide used in the extraction of gold ended up in rivers posing a health hazard to both animals and humans. Communities and livestock were exposed to contaminated drinking water and the mining activities also affected pastures. Zimbabwe is a signatory to the Minamata Convention signed in Japan meant to regulate the use of mercury, with an objective to stop completely the use of mercury in gold mining activities. However not much was done to eliminate use of mercury in the country. mining sector in Zimbabwe, including weak State-based judicial and non-judicial mechanisms to remedy adverse human rights impacts. Violations included involuntary relocation of communities with inadequate to no compensation, negative impacts on indigenous communities in the localities mining company operations, environmental and water bodies impact, impact on health and safety as well as impacts associated with artisanal mining. More concerning is that the report found that very little to nothing was being done to address these human rights violations by mining companies. Government and allied institutions mandated to protect citizens against human rights violations are doing very little in this regard. Fears were that government's pressure to obtain foreign direct investment caused it to turn a blind eye to environmental degradation and protection of workers. The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) revealed gross violations of human rights in mining areas, particularly in Mutoko and Zvishavane where locals were subjected to discrimination and involuntary relocations, among other issues. In a report titled Zimbabwe National Report on the State of Business and Human Rights in Mining Sector 2018: The Case of Mutoko and Zvishavane, ZELA reported that mining companies had been grossly violating human rights, against set national and international standards. The findings revealed that there existed severe economic, political and environmental systemic challenges that presented several institutional challenges to implement UN Guidelines on Business and Human Rights in the mining sector in Zimbabwe. There is need for a smart mix of mandatory and voluntary regulatory frameworks to motivate mining companies to respect human rights in mining. According to ZELA, this smart mix should filter between corporate social responsibility and corporate accountability, as this ensures all the stakeholders are accountable on issues such as community benefits, environmental performance, among many other issues, and to allocate more powers and responsibilities to local authorities to negotiate mining contracts as they operate within the communities and have full knowledge of community development priorities. Additionally, the report revealed poor political will and support to strengthen the legal framework and institutions that regulate activities that impact on human rights in the 50 STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ZIMBABWE 2018