Villagers Arrested for Defending Their Dam as Chinese Firm Moves In
Five villagers from Diki in Hwange Rural District have been arrested following a protest against Chinese-owned ZhongJin Heli Energy, which they accuse of attempting to extract water from Kolepe Dam without consulting the local community.
The arrests have sparked widespread anger among residents who rely on the dam for farming under the Lukosi irrigation scheme, which sustains more than seventy farmers.
The detained villagers — Chentani Mathe, Definite Munsaka, Simangele Singa, Linnet Zulu, and Likhwa Nyathi were named by their lawyer, Thulani Nkala of Dube and Nkala Legal Practitioners.
They are expected to appear in court shortly.
Sources revealed that the company has already laid a pipeline to draw water from the dam, offering to fence the irrigation scheme and install a centre pivot in exchange.
Ward councillor Wonder Ncube, who has previously been arrested over the same dispute, confirmed the latest detentions.
“This issue has dragged on for years. We were arrested before, and now six villagers are back in cells,” he remarked.
Ncube cautioned that diverting water to the company could worsen shortages and threaten livelihoods.
“The dam supports seventy-three farmers under command agriculture. The water is already too little to share with the Chinese company,” he stated.
He further explained that although ZhongJin Heli Energy claims to have paid the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) for access, even the irrigation scheme itself purchases water from ZINWA.
Villagers, he added, feel betrayed by ZINWA’s decision.
“They built the dam themselves. For years, they have avoided the other side — there is simply not enough water.
“Now ZINWA insists there is enough to supply both the irrigation scheme and the industry, which villagers view as unjust.”
Hwange District Residents Association chairperson Herbert Ncube also voiced strong opposition.
“The Chinese did not consult the community. The dam belongs to the people,” he asserted.
Allegations have surfaced suggesting that money may have exchanged hands, with some individuals possibly enabling the deal.
“The community deserves answers,” he emphasised.
He argued that the move undermines local development efforts.
“This is unacceptable. It erodes the gains our community made through government support. Why should the Chinese have an upper hand over our communities?”
Meanwhile, some sources have accused Hwange Local Board chairperson Peterson Ncube of facilitating the company’s access to the dam — a claim he dismissed as “highly misplaced and malicious.”
Diki Village Head Joseph Change confirmed that ZhongJin Heli Energy had sought water access through government channels and ZINWA, which approved the request.
“During a meeting chaired by Minister Richard Moyo, ZINWA stated there is enough water for both the irrigation scheme and the Chinese,” he recounted.
However, tensions escalated when villagers resisted the laying of pipes, prompting police intervention.
“There is a signed agreement between ZINWA and the Chinese. No one raised objections during the meeting, although farmers later warned the dam could run dry and their crops would suffer,” Change explained.
ZINWA had not responded to emailed questions at the time of publication.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda referred queries to Hwange Rural District Council, saying they were “better placed to confirm.”
The incident has since drawn national attention, raising pressing questions about community rights, water access, and transparency in foreign investment.
