A group of unidentified Chinese nationals has initiated large-scale, illegal riverbed gold mining operations in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe, reportedly with the active support of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and local traditional leader, Chief Peter Ngorima. These controversial activities, which have already seen a vast area along the Haroni River fenced off at the border of Rusitu Valley and Chimanimani National Park, pose severe threats to the livelihoods and ancestral land of the indigenous Ndau tribe, who have inhabited the region for centuries. Despite attempts by the Chimanimani Rural District Council (RDC) to halt the operations, and a government ban on alluvial and riverbed mining under Statutory Instrument (SI) 188 of 2024, the illegal mining continues unabated, affecting nearly 3,500 families.

The mining project, shrouded in secrecy with the identities of the Chinese consortium and its members undisclosed, targets over 500 hectares of homes and arable land. Villagers, many of whom trace their occupation of the land back to the 1700s, primarily rely on banana farming for their survival. However, the operations have led to the destruction of main routes used by trucks to transport their produce to urban markets, causing crops to rot by the roadside and jeopardizing food security. This situation has left families unable to pay school fees and facing potential hunger, with fears of forced relocations similar to the Chiadzwa diamond rush of 2008.

Chief Ngorima has acknowledged the ZNA's active participation in the Chinese company's operations, claiming the company was sent by his "seniors" but refusing to identify them. He dismissed opposition to the project as resistance to development, asserting that the Chinese intend to build roads, a clinic, and a secondary school. However, investigations by NewZimbabwe.com and the Information for Development Trust (IDT) have exposed significant disregard for environmental regulations and local community well-being. Attempts to obtain comments from the Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Hlengiwe Dube, and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesperson, Amkela Sidange, proved futile, with the latter deferring questions to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) under a "Whole of Government approach."

The environmental impact of the mining has been devastating, described as "massive ecocide." The once-clear Haroni River, a vital source of irrigation and drinking water for communities downstream, including those in Mozambique, has been muddied, diverted, and contaminated with effluent from James Table gold processors and other heavy industrial equipment. This destruction has led to mounds of sand, rock debris, and pits dominating the landscape. Godfrey Hlabiso, a local teacher, reported that communities in neighbouring Mozambique, particularly in Chisango, are threatening to retaliate if the Ndau do not expel the Chinese miners, fearing a cross-border conflict due to the contamination of shared water resources.

The Haroni River area also holds immense cultural significance for the Ndau tribe, serving as a site for traditional rainmaking ceremonies within what is known as the Haroni Botanical Reserve, a protected area. Villagers lament the destruction of this sacred site, the loss of fish, and the contamination of water used in their rituals. Community leaders and activists, including Headman John Hlabiso, Miriam Chekure, Patience Mazemu, and Godfrey Hlabiso, have voiced strong opposition, highlighting the immediate hardships and long-term implications for their cultural heritage and survival.

Further illustrating the gravity of the situation, a community leader reported that on January 13, heavy machinery, initially removed from the site due to protests, was escorted back by ZNA soldiers. Willard Mpuku, a local, claimed soldiers assaulted him for challenging the operations. Liberation war veteran Rueben Zuze expressed deep disappointment, criticizing the government and local MP Joshua Sacco for allowing the oppression for gold, stating, "The country is dying." Farai Maguwu, executive director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG), suggested that the government's silence indicates collaboration between the Chinese miners and "highly connected state actors," raising concerns about the potential for regional conflict stemming from uncontrolled and unregulated mining activities near the Mozambique border.