INYATHI, Matabeleland North — A trail of blood, shattered glass, and plundered gold ore has been left across the Matabeleland North mining landscape, as the deported Chinese national Li Song is accused of orchestrating a horrific campaign of violence and terror from her hideout in South Africa.
Despite her physical removal from Zimbabwe, the woman notoriously known as the “Cyanide Queen” continues to flex her muscle through a network of hired mercenaries and alleged high-ranking police collaborators, turning a dispute over DGL Investment 5 Mine into a war zone.
The latest wave of brutality at the mine—popularly known as Queens Mine—reached a fever pitch when two hired individuals were fatally shot during a chaotic confrontation.
Investigations by ZiMetro News suggest that Li Song has been “remote-controlling” these disturbances. It is alleged that illegal miners were recruited and paid a pittance of US$30 each to ignite a “protest” that quickly transitioned into a violent raid. The result? Total anarchy that left the mine in ruins and the surrounding community in fear.
Anatomy of the Terror: US$200,000 in Destruction
The scale of the “Cyanide Queen’s” brutal campaign is laid bare in a police report filed by the mine’s security manager, Tendesai Chimuka (Case CR08/12/25). The mob, allegedly acting on Song’s orders, engaged in:
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Arson and Siege: An unmarked Isuzu truck arrived to deliver tires used to build fire barricades, while mobs pelted security guards with stones.
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Mass Looting: Under the cover of the chaos, invaders breached the gold plant, stealing 13 tonnes of gold ore and high-value panned concentrates containing mercury.
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Infrastructure Sabotage: Security cameras were smashed, vehicles including a Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Navara were vandalized, and the crushing plant’s controls were destroyed.
The Police Complicity Scandal
The most chilling aspect of this campaign of violence is the alleged shield provided by those meant to uphold the law. Sources indicate that Li Song is working in tandem with high-ranking police officials, including a Police Commissioner in the province and handlers identified as “Bernadette Makuku” and “Blessed.”
Despite the perpetrators being captured clearly on CCTV footage, there has been a shocking reluctance from the police to effect arrests. This suggests that the “Cyanide Queen” hasn’t just exported her body; she has imported a culture of fear and bribery that reaches the very top of the Matabeleland North police command.
This is no longer a mere corporate dispute; it is a national security crisis. Li Song’s ability to fund bloodshed and command mobs from across the border proves that she remains a dangerous force in Zimbabwe’s mining sector.
By weaponizing poverty and exploiting police corruption, she is sending a clear message: being deported hasn’t stopped her from “calling the shots” in the gold fields of Matabeleland. For the families of those caught in the crossfire and the investors watching their assets be looted, the “Cyanide Queen’s” reign of terror is a nightmare that the Zimbabwean government has yet to wake up from.