Zimbabwe News Update
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BusinessCrime & CourtNewsBy Nigel PfundeMutoko- A Chinese investor recently convicted for stealing thousands of tonnes of gold ore from a fellow miner has again been implicated in a new fraud scandal where he attempted to seize the same disputed ore dump he was ordered by the courts to return.Official documents obtained from the Ministry of Mines, police dockets and High Court filings show that Zheng Zhangxian who is the convicted owner of Reajin Enterprises allegedly formed an illegal syndicate known as Zhangveng is in a fresh attempt to repossess the ore dump through falsified paperwork and manipulation of court processes.Investigations reveal that despite being convicted and ordered to pay US$875k in restitution was reprimanded by the Mutoko Magistrates’ Court.Zheng made a continuation of criminal conduct under a new name.Zhangveng Syndicate was registered on 8 September 2025, the same day the court delivered its guilty verdict against Reajin Mine.The syndicate lists Zheng Zhangxian and Zimbabwean national Vengai Kurarama as its directors.Investigators say the timing of the registration and the involvement of Zheng suggest it was deliberately created as a front for the convicted company.A Ministry of Mines report seen by Express Mail Zim states that the formation of the syndicate violates sections of the Mines and Minerals Act and ZIDA regulations which prohibit foreigners from informally partnering with locals outside formal company structures.Legal experts say the move constitutes a breach of investment and mining laws.The ministry, through a letter dated October 6 2025, confirmed that its field investigation exposed falsified survey coordinates and other irregularities in Zhangveng’s application.GPS verification showed that the contested ore dump sits 1.6 kilometres away from Zhangveng’s registered claim boundaries.Following the findings, police at Mutoko opened a criminal docket under reference number CR 68/09/25 against the syndicate for contravening Section 376 of the Mines and Minerals Act (alteration of beacon positions) and Section 383 (false declaration of coordinates and misrepresentation of claim size).The ministry’s report further concluded that Zhangveng was attempting to seize ore belonging to Emmanuel Ndemera the original complainant in the Reajin theft case.Despite the ongoing criminal investigation, Zhangveng Syndicate has filed an urgent High Court application (HC 4522/25) seeking to block Ndemera from accessing the ore dump.However, the application is alleged to contain forged documents and false declarations including claims that Ndemera lacked an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate, a statement later disproved by the Environmental Management Agency.Sources close to the investigation have described the actions of Zheng as part of a consistent pattern of fraudulent partnerships and repeated defiance of court orders.“The Chinese miner keeps teaming up with different locals to continue stealing.
He used Takura before, now he’s with Kurarama same crime, new faces,” said one complainant.Local miners alleged that it seems there is legal shielding of the miner with some sources accusing certain lawyers of protecting the him and contributing to prosecution delays.Leave a ReplyCancel reply
BusinessCrime & CourtNewsBy Nigel PfundeMutoko- A Chinese investor recently convicted for stealing thousands of tonnes of gold ore from a fellow miner has again been implicated in a new fraud scandal where he attempted to seize the same disputed ore dump he was ordered by the courts to return.Official documents obtained from the Ministry of Mines, police dockets and High Court filings show that Zheng Zhangxian who is the convicted owner of Reajin Enterprises allegedly formed an illegal syndicate known as Zhangveng is in a fresh attempt to repossess the ore dump through falsified paperwork and manipulation of court processes.Investigations reveal that despite being convicted and ordered to pay US$875k in restitution was reprimanded by the Mutoko Magistrates’ Court.Zheng made a continuation of criminal conduct under a new name.Zhangveng Syndicate was registered on 8 September 2025, the same day the court delivered its guilty verdict against Reajin Mine.The syndicate lists Zheng Zhangxian and Zimbabwean national Vengai Kurarama as its directors.Investigators say the timing of the registration and the involvement of Zheng suggest it was deliberately created as a front for the convicted company.A Ministry of Mines report seen by Express Mail Zim states that the formation of the syndicate violates sections of the Mines and Minerals Act and ZIDA regulations which prohibit foreigners from informally partnering with locals outside formal company structures.Legal experts say the move constitutes a breach of investment and mining laws.The ministry, through a letter dated October 6 2025, confirmed that its field investigation exposed falsified survey coordinates and other irregularities in Zhangveng’s application.GPS verification showed that the contested ore dump sits 1.6 kilometres away from Zhangveng’s registered claim boundaries.Following the findings, police at Mutoko opened a criminal docket under reference number CR 68/09/25 against the syndicate for contravening Section 376 of the Mines and Minerals Act (alteration of beacon positions) and Section 383 (false declaration of coordinates and misrepresentation of claim size).The ministry’s report further concluded that Zhangveng was attempting to seize ore belonging to Emmanuel Ndemera the original complainant in the Reajin theft case.Despite the ongoing criminal investigation, Zhangveng Syndicate has filed an urgent High Court application (HC 4522/25) seeking to block Ndemera from accessing the ore dump.However, the application is alleged to contain forged documents and false declarations including claims that Ndemera lacked an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate, a statement later disproved by the Environmental Management Agency.Sources close to the investigation have described the actions of Zheng as part of a consistent pattern of fraudulent partnerships and repeated defiance of court orders.“The Chinese miner keeps teaming up with different locals to continue stealing.
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