Explaining Tanzania’s Zero-Sum Mining Regimes

Abstract

The mining regime in Tanzania was reformed in the 1990s with the promise that the
sector would be a game changer in the efforts to promote economic growth and
poverty reduction. Yet, as time went by, it became apparent that the state was shortchanged

in the design of mining codes that are tilted in favour of multinational
companies when it comes to getting tangible benefits. With evidence from documents
and interviews of informed persons, this article traces the footprints of key actors
whose interests were decisive in shaping the emerging mining regime. It shows that
the lopsided nature of the regime is not a mere coincidence but a calculated initiative
to ensure that multinational companies control the mineral resources of the country.