Evias Mukwasi holds lithium ore outside his home in Mukwasi village, Buhera, Zimbabwe. He refused to be relocated and has no regrets. Max Mind Investments Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of Chinese global giant Shenzhen Chengxin Lithium Group, is being praised in Zimbabwe, where it is projected to generate $2-billion in annual revenue. The government considers it a vital cog in its ambitious plan to establish a $12-billion mining sector economy by 2030.
Max Mind Investments enjoys support from the highest levels of Zimbabwe’s government. President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited the mine twice, in 2022 and 2023. Of these families, 22 were relocated to the town of Murambinda, 17 to places within their communal area and one family to Mberengwa, in Midlands province.
Villagers relocated in Mukwasi villages say this borehole drilled by Max Mind Investments is contaminated. Laboratory test results proved the water is unsafe. established that the villagers signed compensation agreements and were given monetary compensation before being evicted She said formal engagements between the mine management, villagers, traditional leaders led by Chief Nyashanu, and government officials started in February 2022.“We did not have lawyers to represent our interests and we believed the DA , chief and village heads would represent us. But Mavhisa and Chief Nyashanu made it clear from the onset that the investment had government approval, so we had no choice but to move,” she said.
Several community members echoed this sentiment and told The NewsHawks that they believed the chief was bribed with a house.The Newshawks tried contacting Chief Nyashanu for comment, but he had still not answered calls by the time of publication. “We are now living in town and have to buy everything from vegetables to meat, but we don’t have the money.“We tried to get compensation for the land we had in the communal area, but the chief and DDC were clear that we would not be compensated. They told us that all land belongs to the government.
Mugova’s founding affidavit, lodged at the Administrative Court, recognises that the respondents “have built homesteads and own other assets, includingcattle kraals and related infrastructure within the boundaries of the properties which they occupy as villagers of Mukwasi Village”. The agreement goes on to state that “upon the Occupier taking up occupation of the new property from the Miner, the Occupier shall receive a token monetary settlement of US$1,900.”