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Zimbabwe deports Chinese in viral video assaulting mine workers

Published

1 year ago

July 19, 2024

BY KITSEPILE NYATHI

Zimbabwe this week deported two Chinese nationals accused of hanging two mine employees on a front-end loader in a case that ignited debate about alleged abuses by investors from the Asian country.

A viral video of the two employees being tied to a bucket of the front-end loader before it was lifted with them hanging by their hands sparked outrage and spurred the authorities to take action.

Police on Wednesday said they had identified the suspects and complainants at Makanga mine in Bindura, about 88 kilometres northeast of the capital Harare.

The brief police statement said, “investigations are in progress,” without naming the Chinese nationals, but a few hours later a government spokesperson announced on social media that they had been deported.

“The two foreign nationals involved in this abuse depicted on a video that went viral were deported (on Wednesday),” government spokesperson Nick Mangwana posted on X.

The Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) described the attack as “appalling, vile, inhumane and savage” as it urged the authorities to launch an investigation into the mine’s operating environment.

“The Zimbabwe Miners Federation is incensed and appalled by the vile and savage attack on Zimbabwean mine workers by a Chinese boss at Makanga Mine in Bindura,” ZMF said in a statement.

“The shocking footage circulating shows the workers being subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment, tied up and hanged from a front-end loader bucket like animals.

“This barbaric act is a blatant violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which guarantees the right to personal security and freedom from torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.

“We will not stand idly while our members are subjected to such egregious abuse.”

The mining industry lobby urged the authorities to investigate the matter and deal with rampant claims of abuse of local workers by Chinese bosses in the mining sector.

“ZMF vehemently condemns this despicable act and demands immediate arrest and prosecution of the Chinese bosses responsible, thorough investigation into the mine’s labour practices and swift action against any violations,” the statement said.

“We will not tolerate such blatant disregard for human rights and the rule of law. ZMF stands in solidarity with the victims and will fight tirelessly to ensure that justice is served.”

Last year, Zimbabwean labour unions wrote to the government demanding that it investigate Chinese employers, whom they said had become notorious for violations such as torture, beatings, gender-based violence, low wages and a host of other labour transgressions.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions – the largest labour centre in the country – accused government officials of shielding abusive Chinese employers because they were getting bribes.

A recent report by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) titled The Handbook of Zimbabwe-China Economic Relations, claimed that there was widespread abuse of local workers in Chinese-owned mines.

“The research team learnt from the communities that Chinese mining companies rarely abide by the minimum wage as per the labour regulations and that there is overwork at the mines and no proper working timetable with workers working a 12-hour day,” said the Zela report.

“We learnt that workers were not being provided with safety clothing.

“Community leaders, who approached some of the mining companies on this, indicated that they were told that their workers are temporary and on fixed term contract basis, thus they cannot be buying safety clothing every time a contract ends, and a new worker has come in.”

The Chamber of Chinese Enterprises in Zimbabwe said its members were being unfairly targeted because of transgressions of a few investors from the Asian country.

It also urged the government to apply the law without fear or favour when foreign investors violate local laws.

Chinese companies have been investing heavily in Zimbabwe’s economic sectors since President Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power seven years ago and they now have a huge presence in the mining, construction, energy and agriculture sectors.

According to the Zimbabwe Development Agency, 60 percent of the new foreign investors recorded last year were from China, with 369 licences that had a projected value of $3.93 billion.

Chinese companies were awarded licences in the third quarter of 2023 to mine lithium and to invest in energy and other sectors.

Source: The East African

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Zimparks defends trophy hunting of collared lion in Hwange

Published

4 hours ago

August 4, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe’s wildlife authority, Zimparks, has defended the killing of a collared lion, Blondie, in Hwange National Park, despite widespread outrage and criticism from conservationists.

According to BBC News, Blondie, a well-known lion studied by University of Oxford academics, was killed by trophy hunters just outside Hwange National Park in late June. The lion was wearing a collar sponsored by Africa Geographic, a safari company, to support long-term conservation efforts.

In a press statement, Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said:

“Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirms that a recent hunt of a collared lion in Hwange National Park was legally conducted, with the necessary approvals and having fully complied with all regulations. Contrary to ongoing speculation, there was no illegality involved in this hunt. While collared animals are marked for research purposes, this does not exempt them from being legally hunted under regulated circumstances. We urge the public to stop spreading wrong information that may cause unnecessary alarm. ZimParks remains committed to transparent wildlife management upholding the regulations in all activities.”

According to BBC News, Simon Espley, CEO of Africa Geographic, expressed his dismay and anger over the incident, saying that Blondie’s prominent collar did not prevent him from being hunted. Espley also noted that Blondie was a breeding male in his prime, contradicting claims that trophy hunters only target old, non-breeding males.

The incident has drawn comparisons to the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015, which sparked widespread outrage and calls for stricter regulations on trophy hunting.

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Renowned conservationist Alan Elliott passes away at 86

Published

3 days ago

August 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The conservation world is mourning the loss of Alan Elliott, a pioneering conservationist and tourism operator who passed away this morning around 2AM at Materdei Hospital in Bulawayo.

Elliott, affectionately known as “Mandebele,” was 86 years old.

Photo by Charlene Hewat

Elliott’s contributions to conservation and tourism in Zimbabwe are immeasurable. He was one of the first people to bring tourism to Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest national park, and founded Touch the Wild, a tourism operation that hosted numerous celebrities, including the Queen and Prince Philip.

We then contacted Charlene Hewat, a close associate of Elliott’s Presidential Elephant Research Trust (PERT), to explain further about his conservation work. Hewat described Elliott as an extraordinary conservationist who dedicated his life to protecting elephants. “Alan’s legacy is imprinted on the wild landscapes he loved so dearly and protected so fiercely,” Hewat said in a Facebook post.

In an interview, Hewat elaborated on Elliott’s work, highlighting his efforts to protect elephants in Hwange. “He went and got a decree from President (Robert) Mugabe to protect the presidential elephants, and he received that decree, and they agreed that they would not shoot any elephants within the Dete Hwange area,” Hewat explained.

Elliott’s passing has sent shockwaves throughout the conservation community, with many paying tribute to his remarkable legacy. “He’s a legend. Everybody knows him,” Hewat said. “He was an MP in Hwange, spoke fluent Ndebele, and knew a lot of the ministers. He’s just an amazing man, a legend for Zimbabwe.”

As a testament to his enduring legacy, Elliott had asked Hewat to carry on his work with the Presidential Elephant Research Trust. “It was his vision to promote young Zimbabwean researchers, and that’s something that I share and think we can take forward for the country and for the youth,” Hewat said.

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UPDATE: ZimParks rangers injured in elephant attack receiving medical treatment

Published

3 days ago

August 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo has provided an update on the condition of two rangers who were injured earlier this week by elephants in the Sengwa, Chirisa Safari area.

The rangers, who were investigating a reported case of a snared buffalo, encountered a herd of elephants with calves that charged at them.

According to the update, one of the rangers has undergone treatment for his left arm and is currently in a stable condition.

The other ranger had a successful abdominal operation and is currently receiving surgery for his broken left arm and left leg.

The incident highlights the dangers faced by wildlife rangers in Zimbabwe. In a similar incident in March 2025, a Zimparks ranger was killed by an elephant in Kariba during a routine patrol in the Gatche-gatche area.

The authority has encouraged people to minimize movements at night to reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflicts.