MUTOKO – A Chinese national has been arrested following the fatal shooting of a Zimbabwean worker at a gold mine in Mutoko, an incident that has reignited public outrage over allegations of violence and exploitation by Chinese mining companies operating in the country.
According to ZimLive, the shooting occurred around 2 am on October 9 at China Zhuhe Mining in the Makosa area. Police said the suspect, identified as Quijun Yu (43), allegedly shot Fungai Nhau (36) during what the mine later claimed was an attempted robbery.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest, saying:
“The ZRP is investigating the circumstances in which a foreign national, Quijun Yu, 43, shot Fungai Nhau, 36, at a mine in Makosa. It is alleged that the foreign national was on duty when several people pounced at the boiler/carbon room resulting in the shooting incident. The foreign national has been arrested. The police will release more details in due course.”
In a statement issued later, China Zhuhe Mining claimed the shooting took place as an armed engineer attempted to repel intruders who had “climbed over the mine’s perimeter wall.” The company said the engineer, armed with a licensed firearm, “fired several warning shots into the air to stop the criminal act.”
At dawn, workers reportedly discovered a man lying critically injured about a kilometre from the mine. The company alleged that the man — later identified as Nhau — admitted before dying that he had been part of a gang attempting to rob the facility.
“Local villagers, unaware of the truth, saw the gangster’s body and mistakenly suspected Chinese employees of improper conduct,” the mine’s statement read, adding that police intervened to “restore order.”
The mine’s version of events, however, has been met with deep scepticism among locals and political figures, who accuse Chinese companies of exploiting workers and using violence with impunity.
Former finance minister Tendai Biti condemned what he called “widespread, unabated and vicious crimes of extraction being perpetrated by Chinese criminals masquerading as miners and investors.”
“There have been countless stories of underpaid black workers going for months without pay and viciously assaulted for little misdemeanours,” Biti said. “As of now, police in Mutoko are investigating the brutal murder of a Zimbabwean worker, shot in cold blood and mercilessly dragged in the gravel and thorn-filled bushes of Nyamuzuwe.”
Biti further accused Chinese mining ventures of desecrating sacred sites and natural resources, likening the situation to a “new Scramble for Africa.”
Environmental rights campaigner Farai Maguwu also weighed in, warning that community anger was reaching boiling point.
“Read the mood of the people of Zimbabwe. The temperatures are rising. People are saying enough of these abuses,” he said.
The killing has once again spotlighted the uneasy relationship between Zimbabwean communities and Chinese mining companies, which have faced numerous accusations of labour violations, environmental destruction, and violence.
As investigations continue, tensions remain high in Mutoko, where residents say justice for Nhau will test the government’s willingness to hold foreign investors accountable.
The post Mutoko Mine Killing Deepens Anger Over Chinese Abuses in Zimbabwe first appeared on The Zimbabwe Mail.