By Own Correspondent
Chipinge- IN the heart of Mutandahwe, a storm is brewingnot of weather, but of resistance.
Over 130 families from Jiyazi Village 25, Mariseni Village 13 and Makiwa Village face imminent eviction as Rio Zimbabwe represented by a Chinese national begins mining operations in their ancestral lands.
Women are leading the outcry, demanding dignity, land rights, and justice.
At the center of the controversy is the 258 Mine Area, where mining for gold and copper is already underway. The villagers report that this development is happening without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and without free, prior, and informed consent, violating both environmental regulations and constitutional provisions safeguarding community and women’s rights.
“I was born here, raised my children here, and buried my mother under that tree,” says 61-year-old Mai Chipo from Jiyazi. “Now they say we must leave—with no explanation, no compensation. Where do they expect us to go?”
The Feminization of Displacement
In these rural communities, land is more than a resource—it is a source of identity, culture, and survival. For women, especially, land is a lifeline. They till the fields, manage food security, and maintain cultural heritage through burial grounds and sacred sites. Yet they remain disproportionately excluded from land ownership discussions and compensation schemes.
“Displacement affects women differently,” explains Ruth Marume, a local gender rights advocate. “While men are consulted or compensated—often inadequately—women are not even in the room. But it’s women who carry the heaviest burden: they feed the children, care for the elderly, and maintain the home.”
What makes the situation particularly disturbing is the complete lack of engagement with women, who were not consulted in the planning, nor informed about the implications of the project. There are also fears of sexual exploitation and harassment, as has occurred in other mining-affected communities across Zimbabwe.
A Legal and Ethical Crisis
Lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), working in partnership with local organizations like Chipinge Residents and Ratepayers Trust (CRRT), have raised alarm over the lack of due process. No formal eviction notices have been served. No court orders have been issued. No compensation frameworks have been shared.
“This is a clear case of illegal displacement,” said a legal representative supporting the case. “The Constitution of Zimbabwe and international conventions require not only an Environmental Impact Assessment but also participatory and gender-sensitive consultation processes before any project of this nature begins.”
Women Demand Recognition and Redress
Women from the affected villages are organizing. They are calling for:
An immediate halt to mining activities until a proper EIA is conducted;
Meaningful consultation that includes women, especially widows and female-headed households;
Transparent compensation mechanisms that account for women’s unpaid care work and land use;
Protection from gender-based violence, often exacerbated during displacement and resettlement;
Restoration of land and cultural heritage sites, including family graveyards.
“We want development, but not at the expense of our homes and our dignity,” said Agnes Makiwa, whose family faces eviction. “Mining without women’s voices is theft—not just of land, but of life.”
A Call to Feminist Solidarity
Feminist movements, civil society actors, and international observers are being urged to speak out. The situation in Mutandahwe is not isolated—it reflects a broader pattern of resource exploitation that sidelines women and violates environmental and human rights.
“This is not just a local crisis—it’s a feminist issue,” said Chipo Nyoni, a policy analyst. “It’s about whose voices matter, whose land is taken, and who gets left behind in the name of profit.”
As bulldozers inch closer to homes, Mutandahwe’s women are refusing to be silent. They are not just victims of extractivism—they are defenders of their land, their rights, and their future.
