Zimbabwean trade unions have raised alarm over an increase in violent confrontations between Chinese nationals and their local employees during labour disputes. This followed two shooting incidents in one week.
And the unions argue Chinese employers have become notorious for labour violations such as torture, beatings, gender-based violence, low wages and a host of other violations.
On Thursday, January 23, a Chinese national was arrested for allegedly shooting an employee at a mine in Filabusi, Matabeleland South Province, during a labour dispute.
Police on Friday said another Chinese national had been arrested for pulling out a gun during a violent confrontation with a machine operator, who had just been dismissed from work at a farm in the Midlands province.
In the first incident, Mthandazo Sibanda, 20, was shot with a pistol by the unidentified Chinese national for allegedly stealing a gold dump on January 22. A day earlier, Kholwani Dube (38) was arrested for stabbing his Chinese supervisor.
A video showing the violent altercation between Mr Dube, an excavator operator employed by Ming Chang Sino Africa and Chinese nationals, has caused outrage in Zimbabwe.
The employee is heard repeatedly shouting “I want my money, I want my money, shoot me” while moving the excavator aimlessly.
Chinese nationals are seen confronting him with one of them pointing a gun at the employee before he is eventually subdued.
The Chinese company accused the local media of misrepresenting facts around the incident to smear investments from that country.
“We also regret to state that some publications rushed to publish inaccurate versions of the incident in what appears to be yet another attack on Chinese investors in Zimbabwe using false information,” Ming Chang said in a statement.
“We also take this opportunity to urge the media to verify facts and report accurately without bias.
“Our company is a law-abiding citizen and remains committed to best labour and business practices which employ legal conflict resolution strategies.”
The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG), a non-governmental organisation that represents communities affected by extractive industries, said the violent confrontations were not isolated incidents.
“At the heart of the increasing tension between Chinese nationals and Zimbabwean workers are poor labour practices, including meagre wages, lack of contracts, and gross human rights abuses,” CNRG said.
“Similar incidents have been reported in the past, including a case where two Chinese nationals were deported for abusing a mine worker at Makanga Mine in Bindura.
“Labour unions have condemned such incidents, emphasising the need to protect workers' rights and prevent human rights abuses.
“Needless to say, this is lawlessness as has never been witnessed in Zimbabwe’s mining sector since independence in 1980.”
Last year, Zimbabwe deported two Chinese nationals after they were recorded hanging two mine employees on a front end loader in a case that ignited debate about alleged abuses by investors from the Asian country.
The viral video of the two employees being tied to a bucket of the front end loader before it was lifted with them hanging by their hands sparked outrage and spurred the authorities to take swift action.
“Our petition was premised on a report on Chinese investments in Zimbabwe's mining sector, revealing poor labour relations, labour rights violations, and precarious employment conditions, including low wages and unpaid work hours,” CNRG added.
“Workers raised concerns about labour rights violations and precarious employment conditions as impacting the relations with Chinese employers.”
Justice Chinhema, general secretary of the Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union, said there was increased tension between Chinese nationals and Zimbabwean workers across the country.
“Workers working for Chinese Operated mines are heavily frustrated due to poverty wages they are earning, poor labour standards provided, including being forced to work many hours of up to 12 to 14 hours every day,” Mr Chinhema said.
“At least 95 percent of these workers at Chinese mines are working under short term fixed contracts, with no medical care, pension and any other benefit needed when retiring.
“Worse, they are intimidated and victimised for participating in any trade union activity or joining trade unions making it difficult for them to collectively bargain for better conditions.”
In 2023, Zimbabwean labour unions wrote to the government demanding that it must investigate Chinese employers, which they said had become notorious for violations such as torture, beatings, gender-based violence, law wages and a host of other labour transgressions.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions – the largest labour centre in the country - accused government officials of shielding abusive Chinese employers because they were getting bribes.
Recent research by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) titled: The Handbook of Zimbabwe-China Economic Relations, claimed that there was widespread abuse of local workers at Chinese-owned mines.
The United States’ 2022 Zimbabwe Country Report on Human Rights Practices released last year said there were reports of abuses by management at certain enterprises and companies “owned by People’s Republic of China (PRC) parastatals and private PRC enterprises.”
It said common complaints included reports of “physical, sexual and emotional abuse of workers, unsafe working conditions, underpayment or non-payment of wages, unfair dismissals, firings without notice, failure to abide by collective bargaining agreements and failure to report health and safety incidents.”
The Chinese embassy often reacts angrily to accusations that companies from that country abuse local workers and says some of the labour disputes are caused by cultural differences and language barriers.
It has also accused Zimbabwean civil society organisations and labour unions of being xenophobic and fronting Western interests.
The Chamber of Chinese Enterprises in Zimbabwe says its members are being unfairly targeted because of transgressions of a few investors from the Asian country.
It has also urged the government to apply the law without fear or favour when foreign investors violate local laws.
Chinese companies have been investing heavily across Zimbabwe’s economic sectors since President Emmerson Mnangagwa came to power eight years ago and they now have a huge presence in the mining, construction, energy and agriculture sectors.
