"‘They want to remove us and take the rock’, say Zimbabweans living near Chinese-owned mines", 7 January 2022

Every day more than 60 trucks take granite for export along this rugged road through Nyamakope village in the district of Mutoko, 90 miles east of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. [...] The Buja people who live here say that as mining companies extract wealth from the mountain, they leave behind a trail of damaged roads and bridges, hazardous pollutants and dirty air. Cracks can be seen on houses and blast debris is everywhere.

Now 50 families in the village have been told by a Chinese mining company that they will have to leave their homes and land. People in four other villages in the district fear they will also lose their ancestral lands. [...]

“There is uncertainty around this village. Right now, we do not have anyone willing to help us because our councillor does not want to help us. Anyone who dares to speak out is threatened. Whether they remove us or not, we are already scared to speak out,” says Anesu Nyamuzuwe*. (*Names have been changed) [...]

Jinding mining company in China could not be reached for comment. [...]

Another Chinese mining company, Shanghau Haoying Mining Investments [sic], is also causing unease among Nyamaropa villagers. [Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's note to readers: The company name has been misspelt. The company in question is Shanghai Haoyun.]

Last year, the company was reportedly given a government licence to mine granite on tracts of land belonging to local people.

“I hear they want to remove us so that they take the rock, which is underneath, but the people do not want to. They will have to use guns to remove us here,” says Gladman Murape*, 34.

Shanghau could not be reached for comment. [...]

[Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's note to readers: Jinding Mining Zimbabwe P/L responded to the allegations on Twitter with a public statement on 10 January 2022]