The Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) welcomes the Zimbabwean government’s recent public acknowledgement of the challenges posed by some Chinese nationals operating in the country’s mining sector. This marks a critical shift towards transparency and accountability in the governance of natural resources.
Speaking at the China-Zimbabwe Business Cooperation Roundtable, Secretary for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Tafadzwa Muguti, expressed concern over illicit mining deals, environmental violations, and cultural insensitivity by certain Chinese investors. These concerns echo the lived realities of mining-affected communities across the country — and align closely with findings in CNRG’s 2024 report “Investment of Plunder: An Analysis of Chinese Investments in Zimbabwe.”
CNRG’s research documented widespread human rights abuses and environmental harm linked to Chinese mining interests, including:
- In Hwange: Community displacement, polluted rivers, and abusive working conditions in Chinese-owned coal operations.
- In Marange: River pollution and restricted community access to ancestral lands linked to Anjin Investments.
- In Mutoko: Over 30 Chinese-linked companies have scarred the land and disrupted local livelihoods.
While the government’s recognition of these issues is a welcome step, CNRG emphasizes that talk must be matched with decisive action. Failure to act risks continued loss of public trust, worsening environmental degradation, and deepening poverty in resource-rich areas.
We urge the government to take the following actions:
- Engage the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe to ensure proper registration and oversight of Chinese nationals.
- Establish accessible national grievance mechanisms for reporting environmental and human rights violations.
- Implement joint investment screening platforms between the Government of Zimbabwe and the Chinese Embassy to prevent illicit actors from entering the country.
CNRG remains committed to advocating for a mining sector that places people over profits, respects cultural heritage, and ensures that Zimbabwe’s natural resources benefit communities first.