ZANU PF YOUTHS EXPOSE THE LAWLESS STATE OF ZIMBABWE

The High Court in Bulawayo has once again exposed the deep lawlessness that now rules Zimbabwe under Zanu PF. In Gwanda, about one hundred and thirty kilometres southeast of Bulawayo, Zanu PF youths violently invaded Vubachikwe Mine and took control of operations without any legal right. These youths acted as if the law does not exist, because in today’s Zimbabwe, party loyalty is often treated as a licence to steal, intimidate, and destroy livelihoods.

Justice Bongani Ndlovu of the Bulawayo High Court was forced to step in and issue a spoliation order against the youths who led this invasion. The order instructed them to leave the mine immediately and stop interfering with its operations. The youths named in the court order were Moses Langa, Aldonia Gondo, Madodana Sibanda, Takeson Moyo, and Alot Ndlovu. They admitted in court that what they did was illegal and agreed to remove themselves and more than two hundred illegal miners they had brought onto the mine.

A spoliation order, known in law as mandament van spolie, is meant to quickly restore property to its rightful holder when it has been taken by force without consent or legal process. That such an order was even necessary shows how far Zimbabwe has fallen. In a normal country, political youths would never dare to invade a private mine and operate it like a war zone. In Zimbabwe, this behaviour has become common because Zanu PF protects its own.

The mine in question is part of Mining Lease 16 and is owned by Forbes and Thompson, a Bulawayo based company that is a subsidiary of Duration Gold Limited. Duration Gold is a serious mining company with long standing investments in Zimbabwe. It owns several mines across the country and has operated Vubachikwe Mine since 1983. Even though the mine is temporarily closed due to operational challenges and restructuring, it remains a major employer and gold producer.

Mining is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s economy and one of the few sectors that still offers hope for growth. When Zanu PF youths invade mines and chase away investors, they are directly destroying the future of the country. No serious investor can trust a nation where party activists can seize property by force while the state looks away. This case had serious implications for property rights, the rule of law, and investor confidence.

It is telling that the Ministry of Mines did not oppose the court application. This silence shows that even government officials know that what happened at Vubachikwe was wrong. Yet the same government continues to empower and protect the youths who commit these crimes in the name of the party. One of the respondents, Taison Mutengeni, did not even bother to appear in court, showing total disrespect for the justice system. The court still granted the order against him.

This case is not just about one mine in Gwanda. It is about a system that rewards chaos and punishes honesty. Zanu PF has turned Zimbabwe into a place where violence replaces law and intimidation replaces dialogue. Until this system is dismantled, court orders will remain temporary solutions to permanent problems. The people of Zimbabwe deserve a country where the law applies to everyone, not just those without party cards.

This judgment proves that Zanu PF youth militias are a threat to jobs, investment, and national dignity. It also proves that ordinary citizens suffer while political elites stay silent. Zimbabwe cannot move forward when the party allows lawlessness to grow unchecked. Respect for courts, property, and work must return. Until Zanu PF is removed from power, these abuses will continue, and the economy will keep bleeding, leaving workers and communities poorer and hopeless every single day ahead. Now