Mazowe Mine is a ‘house’ on fire following clashes between some senior Zanu PF party Mashonaland Central officials and mining workers who are accusing the provincial party officials for allegedly working in cahoots with some mine management to evict over 30 000 workers and party members from the mine by July 31.
Reports are that the three-year war remains unresolved following some delays being caused by some unscrupulous elements within the party who are not following due procedures.
Minister Kazembe Kazembe
Close sources on the issue revealed that the suspects are jeopardising the President and party’s mantra of Vision 2030 not to leave anyone behind.
Christopher Magomo
The battle, which has been at the courts, reached a stalemate when the High Court Judge Chitapi ordered that no one has the jurisdiction to evict any member from the mine under the Corporate Rescue proceedings under case number HC3789/25.
However, there are some ‘greedy individuals’ within the party who are fighting the same people who voted for the party after years of defeats to the opposition.
“They want to evict party members and former workers who amount to over 30 000 constituting a constituency.
“The mine has over 30 000 mine workers who are working in claims which are over 120.
“The problem is that they want to replace everyone and want to replace them with some party members.
“What should be known is that everyone at Jumbo is Zanu PF, and the party won this seat for the first time, and it shows it now belongs to the party.
“Surprisingly, the question is, how then can the party remove the same people who voted for them and claim they want to re-allocate to the same people whom they would have removed,” said a source.
The disgruntled workers who are also party supporters said it’s not fair to be evicted for business they invested in for the past three years.
“People invested over three years into this mining business only for them to be pushed out, yet they put over US$150k.
According to records, there were 65 claims which were contracted by Mazowe Mine.
However, the 65 were ordered to move out illegally of the mine in February 2024.
Then, 21 battled their rights at the courts and were allowed to return to their claims.
The rest didn’t go, so automatically they didn’t have legal standing, leaving the 21 on the ground.
“Political heavyweights have brought their own people.
“Up until now we have 121 claims allocated by the leadership of ZANU PF for Jumbo.
“These ones have no responsibility since they do their things haphazardly, hence the need for a cleanup.
“Only 21 are protected by the law and court orders since they are doing safe mining processes,” said another source.
Mazowe is a private mine running under a de facto management.
Some workers have questions:
How come the party comes and says everyone should move out so that they replace them with a criterion not known to everybody?
How do they stop people with valid court orders from operating?
“Some individuals within the party are now overstepping the court orders.
“The eviction is being pushed by the provincial leadership yet the court protocol doesn’t allow evictions.”
Surprisingly, the provincial leadership has also written a letter to the party Headquarters requesting authority to evict mining contractors and mine workers by July 31.
“Instead of ptotecting the people, they are now fighting them yet they voted them in positions.
“What we know, they are working with the mine management de facto.
“They are working in cahoots with the de facto mine management.
“The mine is using the party to evict people, and they feel they have been defeated at the courts.
“They have seen it easy to use the party and some corrupt individuals within the party, yet this should be done by the court.
“We have a pending case at the court on Corporate Rescue, which is returning to court on July 27,” added another source.
However, the committee representing some members has also countered the provincial letter to the Presidium.
The letter of complaint against Mashonaland Central Zanu PF Province Chairman Kazembe Kazembe and Provincial Devolution Minister C Magomo is being addressed to the President.
In the letter, the aggrieved party members and workers said.
“Former workers at Mazowe Mine have not been paid a single dime by a deserted employer, Mzi Khumalo of formerly Metallon Gold Zimbabwe, which went into liquidation in London, United Kingdom, in 2025.
“The Chairman Cde Kazembe Kazembe, in collusion with the Honourable State Minister Christopher Magomo, have set July 31, in their plans to evacuate and evict all people at Mazowe Mine, including former employees in the name of re-allocating the area to what they construe as authentic party cadres.”
The letter also accused the senior party leadership of trying to take over Mazowe Mine, and indications have been there since cessation of major operations at Mazowe Mine.
“There is an application for Corporate Rescue by former workers with a reference Case number HCHC 84/24, and the matter is before the High Court Commercial Division and is yet to be finalised and is sitting on July 27.
“What is the fate of former employees who are still owed claims in excess of US`$18 million?”
In the letter, the workers are requesting the officials to rescue themselves from the ongoing issue.
“The other judgments which are in favour of former employees and contractors are available, and the other ministers must recuse themselves from Mazowe Mine issues.
“Their write-up is clandestinely for self-aggrandizement and not people-oriented, and a laborious investigation into the matter will thus show this.
“This is not the first time the ministers have been involved.
“They once used Beekstar Investments against Mazowe Mine employees and contractors under case number HC198/24 to achieve their goal and failed to make it before the courts.”
