'Zimbabwe mining activity is organised crime,' says foreign funded Maguwu

Farai Maguwu, founding director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance, has criticized the mining activities in Zimbabwe, particularly those involving Chinese companies, describing them as "organized crime." 
Speaking during a virtual discussion hosted by Bubi Community Parliament, Maguwu expressed concern over the negative impact these mining operations have on local communities, leaving them impoverished and underdeveloped.
Maguwu contrasted the operations of companies like Zimplats, which have invested in infrastructure and community development, with those of Chinese miners. 
He noted that while Zimplats has built roads, housing, and a town that will endure beyond its mining activities, many Chinese companies do not invest in local communities or improve the areas they operate in. 
Instead, they leave behind environmental degradation, such as unfilled pits, and fail to provide basic amenities like toilets for their workers.
He further criticized the working conditions in these mines, stating that some workers are forced to steal from their employers to supplement their income. 
Maguwu's remarks align with a recent study by Ronald Chipaike of the Public Policy and Research Institute of Zimbabwe, which highlighted a significant increase in Chinese investment in Zimbabwe, especially in mining. 
In 2023 alone, the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency licensed 247 Chinese companies, with the majority focusing on mining.