Hwange Workers Raise Serious Allegations Against Chinese-Owned Energy Company

Workers at Zhongjin Heli Energy in Hwange have raised serious allegations over poor working and living conditions at the Chinese-owned company, accusing management of unsafe labour practices, poor sanitation, and discrimination between local and foreign employees. One employee who contacted this publication on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation described conditions at the company as “inhumane” and said workers were being exposed to dangerous environments without adequate protection.

According to the worker, local employees allegedly do not have access to clean toilets, safe drinking water, or proper bathing facilities either at the plant or at workers’ accommodation quarters.

“The situation here is very bad. The company does not provide proper toilets at the plant or even at the workers’ living quarters. There is no clean drinking water, no proper bathrooms, and hygiene practices are extremely poor,” the worker said.

The employee further alleged that some workers are operating without formal contracts, while many reportedly lack proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

“In terms of safety, it is zero, zero. There are no proper safety practices at all. We are surviving only by the grace of God,” the worker claimed.

The whistleblower also accused the company of maintaining separate facilities for Chinese employees while local Zimbabwean workers allegedly continue to endure poor conditions.

“What hurts us the most is that the Chinese workers have purified drinking water, clean toilets, and proper bathrooms only for themselves, but local employees are not allowed access to those places,” the source said.

The worker alleged that the company employs a large number of Chinese nationals, including in office and supervisory positions, while qualified Zimbabweans are allegedly being overlooked.

“There is only one local person working as an HR assistant, while the rest are Chinese nationals,” the employee claimed.

The source also raised concerns over alleged irregularities involving immigration permits and job designations for some expatriate workers. According to the employee, some Chinese nationals allegedly hold permits for technical or specialised positions they are not qualified to perform.

“For example, someone may be registered as an electrical engineer when in reality he is a plumber, or someone who simply learned the job on site,” the worker alleged.

The employee claimed qualified Zimbabweans capable of filling those roles are being sidelined despite possessing the required skills and experience.

The allegations come amid growing scrutiny of labour practices at some foreign-owned companies operating in Zimbabwe, particularly in the mining, construction and energy sectors.

Labour experts say employers operating in Zimbabwe are legally required to comply with occupational safety standards, labour regulations and non-discriminatory workplace practices under Zimbabwean labour laws.

The anonymous employee appealed for authorities to investigate the matter urgently before a serious workplace disaster occurs.

“Tiri kungoshanda semhuka and management does not seem to care about workers’ welfare, dignity, or fairness,” the worker said.

Efforts to obtain comment from Zhongjin Heli Energy were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

Zhongjin Heli Energy Zimbabwe