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In a move that has left many in the mining community questioning the fairness of Zimbabwe’s judicial system, three Chinese nationals caught red-handed conducting illegal alluvial mining operations in Karoi have been let off with a mere US$200 fine each, while a citizen was sentenced to two years, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The Chinese trio, Li Taisen (30), Wang Jinyan (57), and Xia Lin (52), appeared before the Karoi Magistrates’ Court on September 2, facing charges of working without valid permits and contravening environmental laws.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the three had established a mining camp and commenced operations along the ecologically sensitive Angwa River in the Dete area between July 25 and 28. They were arrested on July 28 after failing to produce any work permits authorising their activities.
Their punishment? A paltry US$200 fine or two months in prison. For a sector plagued by allegations of favouritism and two-tier justice, this sentence is a slap in the face.
This leniency stands in stark contrast to the fate of Zimbabwean artisanal miners. Just two months ago, a Siakobvu man, Kudakwashe Mapinda, was sentenced to a full two years in prison for the same crime, illegal panning along the Karongwe River. Unlike the Chinese nationals who were operating with machinery, Mapinda was using a simple wooden pan.
The irony is bitter. While a local miner using rudimentary tools gets a harsh prison sentence, foreign nationals with equipment capable of far greater environmental damage get a fine equivalent to a night’s stay at a hotel.
This happens against a backdrop of a government led crackdown on riverbed mining. Cabinet has been unequivocal, stating that alluvial mining has caused “irreversible environmental damage,” destroying major rivers and contributing to the severe siltation crippling dams like Bulawayo’s Umzingwane, which is currently at a critical 2% capacity.
The message from this court ruling might be interpreted painfully by citizens: “There is one law for poor Zimbabweans trying to scrape a living and another for foreign nationals.” This interpretation by citizens might undermine the fight against environmental degradation and make a mockery of justice in our nation’s mining sector.
Questions from the general public are, how long will our rivers be plundered by well-connected operators while the small man bears the full brunt of the law?
