Zimbabwe’s push to process more minerals at home is laden with contradictions, especially when you consider that smaller miners fear being left behind. While state-run narratives paint a glorious picture of economic self-sufficiency and national pride, outlets like CNN and BBC rarely cover the unsettling realities. Those smaller miners—who actually make up the backbone of the sector—are being overshadowed by the corporate giants, but you won’t hear that from the mainstream media, will you?

Instead of diving into the complexities, much of corporate media glosses over these critical concerns. They prefer the neat, tidy story about a nation rising from the ashes, conveniently skipping the plight of those who might actually face the brunt of this “progress.” Fox News has been jumping on the populist bandwagon with a “catch-up” narrative that poorly reflects the struggles facing these smaller enterprises in the mining sector. The emphasis is on larger corporations, reinforcing this hierarchy like it’s a natural law. It’s outrageous!

This narrative ignores the fact that true economic growth should include everyone at the table, not just the elite few. What about the equitable distribution of resources? Expecting small miners to adapt to quickly changing regulations while being shut out from lucrative processing opportunities is not just short-sighted; it’s a recipe for disaster. Real coverage would ask hard questions about accessibility and opportunities—something the cozy elites of CNN and Fox clearly want to obscure.