Three Men Convicted of Illegal Mining and Theft in Chinhoyi
- Southerton Business Times
- Jan 2
- 2 min read
Three Harare men have been convicted at the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court on charges of illegal mining and theft of mining equipment following a dispute over mining rights and ownership.
The convicted men are Nelson Mukwazhi (37) of Tynwald North, Takunda Mazambani (35) of Hogerty Hill in Borrowdale, and Tatenda Nhumbe (32) of Masasa Park. The case was prosecuted by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
According to the State, the complainant had engaged the three men in July 2025 with the intention of establishing a mining joint venture. However, no written agreement was concluded, and the complainant later proceeded to operate the mine independently. Despite the absence of a formal agreement or authorisation, the trio allegedly brought an excavator onto the mining site and commenced operations.
The court heard that on 24 July 2025, Mukwazhi and Mazambani misrepresented themselves as authorised miners and extracted 28.22 grammes of gold from the site. The gold was later sold in Chinhoyi for US$2,768. Two days later, the men again misrepresented to mine security personnel that they had authority to remove property from the premises, resulting in the removal of mining equipment, including a 10,000-litre water tank.
Investigations revealed that the stolen equipment was transported to Mutsvairo Village in the Dema area of Seke, where the water tank was later recovered. Following a full trial, the court found all three men guilty.
They were sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, with three years suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour. A further three years were suspended on condition that restitution amounting to US$114,000 is paid. This leaves an effective sentence of two years’ imprisonment.
The NPA said the case highlights the serious legal consequences associated with unauthorised mining activities and the unlawful removal of property.
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