from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – MOUNTING public anger is growing in Zimbabwe amid reports of unchecked environmental degradation by Chinese mining companies operating in ecologically sensitive areas, while the government remains distracted by internal political maneuvering and efforts to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule.
The latest flashpoint is in Redcliff, Midlands Province — ironically President Mnangagwa’s political stronghold—where a Chinese firm is allegedly conducting gold mining operations along the Kwekwe River, adjacent to the Cactus Dam.
The activity has sparked fears of irreversible siltation, water pollution, and destruction of local ecosystems, drawing fierce criticism from citizens, civil society, and environmental activists.
Critics argue that while the ruling ZANU–PF party focuses on consolidating power, foreign companies—particularly Chinese firms—are plundering the country’s natural resources with little oversight or accountability.
“This is not investment, it’s daylight environmental terrorism,” said Rodreck Kudakwashe, a Harare-based social commentator.
“While the nation obsesses over political factionalism, the Chinese systematically strip Zimbabwe of its resources and mortgage our future under the guise of economic development.”
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA), responsible for regulating mining and environmental compliance, has been accused of turning a blind eye.
Many Zimbabweans allege that local authorities are either complicit or compromised through corruption and political interference.
Social media has become a key outlet for public frustration. One user wrote, “Drive from Chegutu to Harare and every second mountain has been carved up.” Another remarked, “No Zimbabwean could do this in China. Why do we allow it here?”
This is not an isolated incident. Across Africa, Chinese mining operations have been linked to environmental destruction, labour violations, and disregard for local communities.
From illegal logging in the Congo Basin to bauxite mining in Ghana, and lithium extraction in Zimbabwe’s Bikita region, China’s resource-for-infrastructure model has raised alarms about sovereignty, sustainability, and exploitation.
In Zimbabwe, the partnership between the state and Chinese entities—often described as opaque and unaccountable—has left many communities disenfranchised and ecosystems degraded.
“There is a pattern,” said an environmental analyst based in Bulawayo. “From Zambia to Guinea, the script is the same: weak governance, foreign capital, and environmental ruin. Zimbabwe is simply the latest example of this toxic combination.”
Amid the growing outrage, calls are intensifying for urgent reforms to Zimbabwe’s foreign investment laws, environmental regulations, and mining oversight mechanisms.
Citizens are also demanding the revocation of licences granted to companies operating in prohibited areas, particularly riverbanks and dam catchments.
“The Chinese embassy must take responsibility for its nationals’ actions,” said one Twitter user. “And the government must stop calling this looting ‘investment.’ This is a national emergency.”
As Zimbabwe hurtles toward what critics describe as “extractive collapse,” the question remains whether political leaders will act to safeguard the nation’s environmental and economic future—or continue to trade it away for short-term political gain.
– CAJ News