Tyanai Masiya serves as the Regional Coordinator at the Center for Research and Development, a Zimbabwe-based NGO that works to ensure human rights, transparency, and accountability in the Marange diamond fields in Eastern Zimbabwe.
While in the U.S., Tyanai worked for the U.S. Government’s Bureau of Land Management [7] in Washington, D.C., where he provided general support to BLM focus areas including land policy and management, communications, minerals, renewable resources, Native American affairs, and regulatory affairs.
Upon returning to Zimbabwe, Tyanai implemented his follow-on project which was comprised of a research initiative that sought to assist in the reform of the country’s mining law. Tyanai designed a research report, which highlighted key advocacy points that the Zimbabwean civil society sector could use to lobby the government for a more transparent mining sector. In July, 2012 Tyanai’s report helped to inform the first ever Diamond Bill drafted and submitted by members of the civil society sector.