A Chinese national, initially presented as a gold mining investor, has been found guilty of stealing gold ore worth more than US$875,000 from a local small-scale miner while illegally conducting operations in Makaha, Mashonaland East.
Court records from the Mutoko Regional Magistrates Court and documents obtained from the Ministry of Mines reveal a well-organised scheme involving Zheng Zhangxian, the so-called investor, in collusion with a ministry official and others.
Zheng’s company, Reajin Enterprises—dubiously registered and operating under the name Takura Mining Syndicate—was ordered to pay restitution of US$875,667.67. The syndicate had been encroaching on Emmanuel Ndemera’s Koodoo 83 claim for four years. Their registered site bordered Ndemera’s, yet they deliberately extracted ore from his ground.
Evidence presented showed that Zheng mined more than 5,000 tonnes of gold ore from 75 metres beneath Ndemera’s claim. Investigations further revealed that Mines Ministry inspector Anthony Singende accepted a US$350 bribe to obstruct inquiries and even authorised continued blasting on the disputed claim, in violation of ministry regulations. Singende has since been fired and now faces trial at the Marondera Magistrates Court.
A report following the probe confirmed the illegal encroachment and recommended that Takura Mining Syndicate cease operations within Ndemera’s territory and construct a 6-metre containment wall inside its own boundary, as required under Statutory Instrument 109 of 1990 (Mine Management and Safety Regulations).
It was also established that the stolen ore was processed at Zhangveng Milling Plant, owned by Zheng in partnership with another local operator. Both ventures were exposed last month for running without proper authorisation. According to regulations, foreign investors must obtain clearance from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and formally register companies, yet Zheng bypassed these requirements by creating syndicates with local partners.
On September 8, Reajin Enterprises was convicted of contravening Section 113(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act in conjunction with Section 379 of the Mines and Minerals Act, covering theft of gold ore. The court fined the company US$3,000, ordered repayment of US$875,667.67, and directed that all ore dumps be returned to Ndemera.
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