Penhalonga Riverbed Mining Allegedly Looted US$2 Million; EMA Accused of Complicity

A CRD report accuses MP Scott Sakupwanya’s Betterbrands Mining of illegally extracting US$1.9 million in gold from Penhalonga’s Mutare River (image source)

HARARE — A new watchdog report accuses Betterbrands Mining Pvt Ltd, owned by Zanu PF legislator Scott Sakupwanya, of orchestrating a two-month illegal riverbed mining operation in Penhalonga that reportedly removed about 18 kilograms of gold — roughly US$1.925 million — from the Mutare River “Island” between May and July 2025, leaving communities and the environment in tatters.

“The incident demonstrates the extent of impunity in the mining sector, where illegal operations thrive under political protection,” said CRD Director James Mupfumi in the report.

The Centre for Research and Development (CRD) says the operation involved roughly 1,000 people, including illegal miners, sponsors, and traders, all allegedly coordinated under Betterbrands’ direction. Mining experts cited in the CRD report estimate that about 18 kg of gold were extracted and smuggled under Betterbrands’ control, valued at approximately US$1.925 million at prevailing rates.

CRD documents link the dredging and sluicing to severe mercury contamination, property destruction, and a breakdown of law enforcement on the Island, where the decomposing body of a suspected miner was also discovered — underscoring the “human cost of lawlessness” highlighted in the report. The watchdog warns that short-term gains from illicit mining are dwarfed by long-term ecological loss and health hazards for riverside communities.

The report further accuses the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) of double standards — rejecting a community-led pit-rehabilitation project while allegedly permitting a politically connected company to conduct operations that flouted environmental and mining laws. CRD frames this as symptomatic of broader corruption and selective enforcement across Manicaland’s mining sector.

Betterbrands, owned by MP Scott Sakupwanya, is at the centre of the allegations. CRD argues that political connections fuel impunity, enabling large-scale smuggling and undermining small-scale miners and residents. The report calls for investigations and accountability measures, but attempts to obtain comment from EMA, the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, and Betterbrands were unsuccessful at publication.

Local residents and civil society groups described heightened insecurity, influxes of transient mining labour, and the collapse of livelihoods tied to the Mutare River. CRD urges immediate environmental remediation, criminal investigations into the alleged smuggling ring, and transparent audits of permits and approvals that allowed the operation to proceed.

Analysts say the Penhalonga case exposes systemic enforcement weaknesses in artisanal and small-scale mining governance, as well as the risks of politicised resource control. CRD recommends strengthening community monitoring, prosecuting illicit actors irrespective of political ties, and applying stringent environmental safeguards to deter riverbed mining that devastates ecosystems and public health.