Business / Companies
Eureka Mine Accused of Bribing Chief and MP Amid Allegations of Community Abuse
2 hrs ago |
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GURUVE - A disturbing scandal has erupted in Guruve, Mashonaland Central, where Eureka Mine - a Chinese-owned gold operation - is accused of bribing local leaders with sandwiches and cash to conceal alleged torture and abuse of artisanal miners and surrounding communities.
Traditional leader Chief Chipuriro and a local Member of Parliament are alleged to have collaborated with the mine to suppress complaints from villagers seeking access to a gold ore dump. In a statement to Bulawayo24.com, Chief Chipuriro openly admitted receiving sandwiches and fuel allowances from Eureka Mine during stakeholder meetings, defending the perks as part of the mine’s support for local leadership.
“Those are just fabrications by enemies of progress,” Chipuriro said. “The mine serves us sandwiches and gives us cash allowances. They’ve helped us with donations and improved our welfare.”
He dismissed claims of torture and victimisation, branding affected villagers as “criminals” who intrude on restricted mining zones. “They should be arrested and rot in jail,” he added.
The allegations come amid a broader pattern of human rights violations linked to Chinese investments in Zimbabwe. Reports have documented arbitrary arrests, displacements, and physical abuse of communities resisting or attempting to access resources controlled by foreign firms.
Eureka Mine has previously faced accusations of contaminating local water sources, resulting in livestock deaths and community health concerns. Civil society organisations have called for urgent investigations into the mine’s operations and its relationship with local authorities.
A comprehensive report on Chinese-linked abuses in Zimbabwe highlights systemic complicity by traditional leaders and politicians, raising alarm over the erosion of constitutional protections. Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees rights to clean water, protection from torture, and freedom from arbitrary eviction - rights that critics say are being violated in the name of investment.
Efforts to obtain comment from Eureka Mine officials were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Traditional leader Chief Chipuriro and a local Member of Parliament are alleged to have collaborated with the mine to suppress complaints from villagers seeking access to a gold ore dump. In a statement to Bulawayo24.com, Chief Chipuriro openly admitted receiving sandwiches and fuel allowances from Eureka Mine during stakeholder meetings, defending the perks as part of the mine’s support for local leadership.
“Those are just fabrications by enemies of progress,” Chipuriro said. “The mine serves us sandwiches and gives us cash allowances. They’ve helped us with donations and improved our welfare.”
He dismissed claims of torture and victimisation, branding affected villagers as “criminals” who intrude on restricted mining zones. “They should be arrested and rot in jail,” he added.
The allegations come amid a broader pattern of human rights violations linked to Chinese investments in Zimbabwe. Reports have documented arbitrary arrests, displacements, and physical abuse of communities resisting or attempting to access resources controlled by foreign firms.
Eureka Mine has previously faced accusations of contaminating local water sources, resulting in livestock deaths and community health concerns. Civil society organisations have called for urgent investigations into the mine’s operations and its relationship with local authorities.
A comprehensive report on Chinese-linked abuses in Zimbabwe highlights systemic complicity by traditional leaders and politicians, raising alarm over the erosion of constitutional protections. Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees rights to clean water, protection from torture, and freedom from arbitrary eviction - rights that critics say are being violated in the name of investment.
Efforts to obtain comment from Eureka Mine officials were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Source - Byo24news
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