Tensions have escalated in the disputed mining area at Kitsiyatota in Bindura involving Botha Gold Mine and Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, following allegations that registered Botha Gold Mine contractors have been forcibly removed from their allocated mining shafts by Navid Incorporated (Pvt) Ltd, a company “dubiously” appointed by Freda Rebecca Gold Mine as its project manager.
According to reports received from affected contractors, some removals have allegedly been carried out using intimidation and in certain instances, violence. Contractors further allege that mining equipment and personal belongings have been thrown out of shafts, with some property worth hundreds of thousands of United States dollars, reportedly damaged during the forced removals. Contractors have also expressed concern that equipment and mining materials left behind could be stolen or unlawfully removed amid the ongoing unrest.
The allegations identify Tendai Possum Mapuranga, Talent Jonasi and Wellington Nemangando, also known as “Shumba”, who apparently, brazenly claim to be untouchable by the police, as being among those leading the teams involved.
The mining area remains the subject of ongoing legal proceedings where ownership and operational rights are yet to be determined by the courts. Mining operations in the disputed area also remain suspended.
The alleged incidents have reportedly been referred to the Zimbabwe Republic Police for investigation.
Efforts to obtain comment from Navid Incorporated Project Manager Mrs. Angel Mpofu-Chisvo and Mr. Ronald Chisvo were unsuccessful, as calls to their mobile phones went unanswered at the time of publication.
The latest allegations arise against the backdrop of separate allegations concerning the removal of gold-bearing dumps, in which it has been alleged that the State suffered losses estimated at more than US$55 million in dump material and approximately US$6 million in gate revenue. Those matters remain the subject of ongoing probes. The complaints identify Navid Incorporated (Pvt) Ltd and Mutapa Gold Resources (Pvt) Ltd Chief Executive Officer Patrick Museva-Shayawabaya, who is also alleged to be a shareholder in Navid Incorporated (Pvt) Ltd, Several Government and political officials, as persons alleged to have been involved in the removal of dump from the disputed area.
The latest developments are likely to intensify scrutiny of the disputed mining area, where competing claims over ownership and operational control continue to play out before the courts while contractors and thousands of people from the Bindura community remain caught in the middle of the ongoing dispute.
