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Court orders Chinese company to pay for gold ore theft
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A Mutoko Regional Magistrates Court has convicted Reajin Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, owned by Chinese national Zheng Zhangxian, for systematically stealing over 5 000 tonnes of gold ore from neighbouring small-scale miner Emmanuel Ndemera. The company was ordered to pay US$875,667.67 in restitution following a multi-year investigation supported by Mines and Mining Development ministry documents and court records.
Reajin Enterprises, operating locally through the Takura Mining Syndicate, was found to have encroached on Ndemera's Koodoo 83 block in Makaha. A May 2023 ministry survey uncovered a 75-metre haulage tunnel into Ndemera's claim, showing significant stoping activity. Evidence included a September 2023 letter from provincial mining director T. Kashiri to the police, confirming underground mining on Ndemera's property.
The stolen ore was processed at the Zhangveng Milling Plant. During a court-ordered valuation mission in January 2024, Reajin officials initially obstructed access, but police intervention allowed samples to be collected. Analysis of the ore dump showed an average grade of 3.5 grams per tonne, resulting in the US$875,667 valuation.
The case was further complicated by a corruption scandal. Mines ministry inspector Antony Singende was dismissed in November 2024 after a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission sting operation found him guilty of accepting a US$350 bribe from Ndemera's manager. Additional ministry correspondence revealed that Zheng had operated through an irregular syndicate arrangement with a local partner, violating laws requiring foreign investors to register formal companies and obtain clearance from the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency.
On September 8, 2025, the court convicted Reajin Enterprises of gold ore theft, imposing a US$3,000 fine alongside the substantial restitution order. The ruling sets a significant precedent for protecting small-scale miners' rights and underscores the escalating legal and financial risks associated with corrupt investment practices in Zimbabwe's mining sector.
Reajin Enterprises, operating locally through the Takura Mining Syndicate, was found to have encroached on Ndemera's Koodoo 83 block in Makaha. A May 2023 ministry survey uncovered a 75-metre haulage tunnel into Ndemera's claim, showing significant stoping activity. Evidence included a September 2023 letter from provincial mining director T. Kashiri to the police, confirming underground mining on Ndemera's property.
The stolen ore was processed at the Zhangveng Milling Plant. During a court-ordered valuation mission in January 2024, Reajin officials initially obstructed access, but police intervention allowed samples to be collected. Analysis of the ore dump showed an average grade of 3.5 grams per tonne, resulting in the US$875,667 valuation.
The case was further complicated by a corruption scandal. Mines ministry inspector Antony Singende was dismissed in November 2024 after a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission sting operation found him guilty of accepting a US$350 bribe from Ndemera's manager. Additional ministry correspondence revealed that Zheng had operated through an irregular syndicate arrangement with a local partner, violating laws requiring foreign investors to register formal companies and obtain clearance from the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency.
On September 8, 2025, the court convicted Reajin Enterprises of gold ore theft, imposing a US$3,000 fine alongside the substantial restitution order. The ruling sets a significant precedent for protecting small-scale miners' rights and underscores the escalating legal and financial risks associated with corrupt investment practices in Zimbabwe's mining sector.
Source - Newsday
