‘Probe abusive Chinese employers’

CIVIL society organisations (CSOs) drawn from different parts of the country have condemned the abuse of workers mostly by Chinese miners in the country.

This followed the recent physical assault of two workers at Fools Investment Mine just outside Bulawayo after they demanded their dues backdated to July last year.

Various CSOs yesterday petitioned the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and the Zimbabwe Gender Commission demanding an immediate probe into the entire mining sector, especially at mines owned by Chinese nationals, where violence against workers is reportedly rife.

In a joint statement, the CSOs which include Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights, Women’s Institute for Leadership Development, Matobo Youth Development Initiative, Rural Communities Empowerment Trust, Community Podium, Christian Legal Society Zimbabwe, Community Youth Development Trust, South Western Region Gender Network, Ibhetshu likaZulu, Greater Whange Residents Trust, Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association, Lupane Youth for Development and Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Association said the Chinese miners’ behaviour was unacceptable and should be stopped.

“These are not the only incident of Chinese mining companies being accused of torturing and abusing Zimbabwean mine workers. Incidents like these have also been reported in Insiza, Gwanda, Bubi, Hwange, Gweru, Matobo, Masvingo, Mutare and other districts of the country where mining is taking place,” the petition read. “We have gathered in many areas of the country where the Chinese mining companies are operating that these acts of wanton human rights abuse are rampant and the locals no longer report them because of the impunity they have experienced.”

The CSOs pleaded with the commissions to investigate these wanton human rights abuses.

“In the investigations, we also implore the commissions to ascertain levels of compliance to COVID-19 regulations as it is clear in the video that the Chinese national beating the worker is not wearing a face mask which raises concerns of exposure of locals to COVID-19 infection in these companies due to negligence.

“Realising that our citizens have been failed to enjoy ‘administrative conduct that is lawful, prompt, efficient, reasonable, proportionate, impartial and both substantively and procedurally fair’ (section 68 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe), we thus call for the independent commissions to step in and protect our citizens,” the petition added.