Fierce dispute erupts over mining equipment

A Chinese mining company has taken Harare businessman Tawanda Denhere to court, accusing him of unlawfully seizing a heavy crawler excavator at the centre of a collapsed mining partnership in Bindura.

According to filings before the Harare Magistrates Court, ZHE LI Mining (Private) Limited and its partner Wang Chunxi are seeking a court order compelling Denhere to release the excavator, which they say was imported from China in December 2024 before being taken over under disputed circumstances.

In an affidavit submitted by the firm's business manager, Hongliang Zhou, the excavator entered Zimbabwe through Forbes Border Post on December 24, 2024. Attached to the court application are invoices, customs clearance documents and import permits which the company says prove ownership of the machinery.

The excavator was later leased to Chunxi under a four-month agreement signed on April 4, 2025, at a monthly rate of US$2 600. But shortly after the contract began, Chunxi allegedly entered a joint venture with Denhere, who, according to the applicants, "falsely represented himself as a legitimate miner operating at Avic Farm in Bindura".

Acting on that representation, the excavator was transported to the site. Zhou told the court that the applicants later discovered Denhere had no legal authority to operate a mine.

"The respondent misrepresented himself and caused the second applicant to believe that he was in the mining industry," he said in the affidavit. "Upon arrival, the applicants realised the respondent was lying. He had no mining licence, no environmental clearance, and was conducting illegal mining."

Authorities eventually raided the Bindura operation, arresting Chunxi for illegal mining. The excavator remained on-site, and ZHE LI Mining alleges Denhere subsequently took control of it and has been using it for personal benefit.

Since then, the company claims, Denhere has refused to surrender the equipment, effectively "attempting to embezzle our machinery".

Represented by Makuwatsine Chirenje Attorneys, ZHE LI Mining argues that Denhere's continued possession of the excavator constitutes unlawful enrichment, saying the applicants have demonstrated "good and sufficient cause" for the court to order its release.

"All efforts to recover the equipment have failed," Zhou stated. "The respondent is refusing, neglecting and failing to give back property that clearly belongs to the applicants."

The dispute has reignited concerns over instability within Zimbabwe's mining sector, where informal partnerships, weak regulatory oversight and property-rights disputes have increasingly placed investors  -  particularly foreign ones  -  at risk.

"This case highlights the dangers of informal mining alliances and weak enforcement of property rights," economist Gift Mugano said. "Foreign investors bring in millions worth of machinery, only to lose control once disagreements arise. That kind of uncertainty damages Zimbabwe's credibility as an investment destination."

The matter is expected to be heard in court in the coming days.