Chinese national acquitted for attempted murder

Gweru regional magistrate Christopher Maturure on Wednesday acquitted Chinese national Liu Haifeng, who had been facing a charge of attempted murder.

The State had alleged that in January this year, Liu (52) fired gunshots at Kholwani Dube, an employee at Ming Chang Sino Africa Bijou Farm, located on the outskirts of Gweru in the Midlands province, following a labour dispute.

In his ruling, Maturure stated that Dube was, in fact, the aggressor in the incident. The magistrate further ruled that the second State witness failed to corroborate evidence submitted by the complainant, leading to Liu’s acquittal.

Haifeng was represented by lawyers from Gundu, Dube, and Pamacheche Legal Practitioners.

According to the State’s case, on January 21, 2025, at around 4 PM, Liu, a farm manager at Bijou Farm in Lower Gweru, fired three shots towards Dube following a misunderstanding. The dispute arose after Liu assigned Dube a task, which he allegedly refused to carry out. Dube was then served with a suspension letter but refused to leave the workplace without his salary.

During the altercation, another Chinese national, Wang Jun, a stores man at the farm, arrived and allegedly joined the conflict. It was alleged that Liu dropped his pistol, which Wang then picked up and used to threaten Dube by pointing it at his head before pressing him to the ground and tying him with a wire.

In his defence, Liu stated that he only fired two warning shots in the air after Dube turned violent, allegedly threatening to run over his Chinese employers with a grader.

The case was prosecuted by Monica Mungwena.

The acquittal comes at a time when the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) has raised concerns over the increasing use of firearms by Chinese nationals and their perceived disregard for Zimbabwe’s labour laws.

A recent case that has drawn national attention is the fatal shooting of Pardon Gumbo (31), an artisanal miner, by Yang Zhian at Long Fortune Mine in Colleen Bawn, Gwanda. Additionally, the death of Taurai Dzova, a Zimbabwean employee at Sino Africa, also reported at Bijou Farm, Lower Gweru, has sparked further scrutiny. In Dzova’s case, a hurried compensation agreement with his family raised suspicions among labour rights groups.

ZHRC has pointed out several incidents where Chinese employers have been implicated in labour rights violations, particularly in the mining and agricultural sectors.

“The commission also notes the disturbing reports involving the use of firearms by Chinese nationals in Zimbabwe,” the rights body said in a statement. “Such actions contravene Zimbabwe’s culture of responsible gun ownership and our legal framework. Foreign nationals operating in Zimbabwe and locals alike must adhere strictly to our laws and respect human life.”

The commission further stated that it would engage the Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe over the issue, as tensions continue to rise over alleged labour abuses involving Chinese employers.

Zimbabwe has witnessed increasing reports of labour disputes involving Chinese employers, with some cases escalating to violent confrontations. Employees at Chinese-owned mining and agricultural enterprises have frequently complained of unfair treatment, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. The use of firearms in such disputes has raised alarms, with labour unions calling for stricter regulations on firearm possession among foreign investors.

As the government continues its engagement and re-engagement policy to attract foreign investment, incidents such as these have sparked debate on balancing economic partnerships with the protection of workers’ rights and adherence to Zimbabwean laws.