CRRT Issues Urgent Warning Amid Rising Threats to Leadership Over Mining Dispute

Chipinge, Zimbabwe — The Chipinge Residents and Ratepayers Trust (CRRT) has raised an urgent alert in response to an escalating series of threats aimed at its leadership and staff Over the last week, all four members of the CRRT team, including Team Leader Allanviny Murozvi, have received repeated, intimidating phone calls from unknown sources.According to CRRT, these calls have contained threats of physical violence,acts of intimidation,threats of arbitrary arrest,suspected phone hacking and surveillanceThe organization believes these threats are a direct retaliation for its staunch opposition to forced evictions in Mutandahwe and other regions of Chipinge District, where mining operations are set to expand.A Longstanding Commitment to Defending Community RightsCRRT has been at the forefront of defending local residents’ land and environmental rights in Chipinge for several years.Their efforts have included opposition to illegal gold mining, unregulated copper exploration, and the displacement caused by coal mining.A Call for Protection and AccountabilityCRRT’s statement concludes with a strong call to action, urging the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other authorities to intervene:“We call upon Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and relevant law enforcement to investigate these threats and protect the safety of CRRT leadership and staff.”The organization also appeals to human rights organizations, the media, and solidarity networks:“Human rights organizations, media, and solidarity networks” are urged “to amplify this alert and stand with communities defending their land and livelihoods.”In addition, CRRT is calling on the government to ensure that mining operations respect the rights of local communities:“Government authorities to ensure that mining operations respect human rights, due process, and the rights of residents to participate in decisions affecting their land.”Despite facing intimidation, CRRT remains resolute in its mission:“CRRT remains steadfast in its commitment to non-partisan, rights-based advocacy No amount of intimidation will deter our mission to promote transparency, accountability, and justice for all residents of Chipinge District Source: Express Mail Zim All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com . Source: Expressmail