By staff reporter
Fresh evidence has emerged suggesting that the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development may have been alerted more than a year ago to alleged illegal gold mining activities at Freda Rebecca Gold Mine’s Mining Lease 21 (ML21), raising serious questions about delayed State action and possible conflict of interest.
Documents seen by this publication reveal that a Bindura-based organisation, Zimbabwe Empowered Youths United In Major Economic Sectors Acceleration, wrote to the Provincial Mining Director (PMD) for Mashonaland Central on 27 February 2025, warning of irregular mining activities on ML21.
The letter, signed by the organisation’s chairman, Tariro Chidavaenzi, clearly distinguishes between the Botha 1-4 claims—held by Side Electricals (Private) Limited—and ML21, stating that the two are separate and unrelated mining rights.
The organisation claims shareholding ties with Side Electricals. Crucially, the letter alleges that small-scale miners were being fraudulently charged US$20,000 each as “lease fees” to operate within ML21, an area legally held under Freda Rebecca Gold Mine.
It further distances Side Electricals from an individual identified as Themba Hlongwani, who was allegedly collecting the payments, citing fears of potential legal action from affected miners.
Official stamps confirm that the letter was received by the Ministry of Mines Records Office in Mashonaland Central on 28 February 2025.
It was also stamped by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Mashonaland Central Province on the same date, indicating that both authorities were formally notified.
Despite this early warning, decisive enforcement action appears to have only materialised in April 2026.
On 22 April 2026, PMD Tendai Kashiri stated under oath in a High Court affidavit that Side Electricals “has never acquired any mining rights within Mining Lease 21,” adding that any mining activity in the area would be in violation of Section 5 of the Gold Trade Act.
The more than one-year gap between the initial warning and official action has sparked concern over regulatory oversight and enforcement within the mining sector.
Sources allege that after these vehicle allocations, the organisation ceased public engagement on the ML21 issue—a development that has raised red flags over potential inducements and conflicts of interest.
However, these claims could not be independently verified at the time of publication.At the centre of the controversy is the potential financial prejudice to the State.
Freda Rebecca Gold Mine operates under Mutapa Gold Resources, a State-owned entity. Unauthorised gold extraction from ML21 is estimated at 271 kilograms, with a market value of approximately US$40 million, excluding losses in royalties and VAT.
Key questions remain unanswered: Who was collecting the alleged US$20,000 fees from miners?
Were these funds declared to Fidelity Gold Refinery or the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA)?
Why did authorities fail to act promptly despite documented warnings? And can records verifying the procurement and allocation of the alleged vehicles be produced?
The investigation is supported by three key documents: the 27 February 2025 letter bearing official Ministry and police stamps, the 22 April 2026 High Court affidavit by PMD Tendai Kashiri, and a report published in The Herald on 23 April 2026.
