By Staff Reporter

A 73-year-old widow from Zhombe is living in despair after she was forcibly removed from a gold mine she has operated for more than 30 years, following allegations that a suspected fraudster used fake documents to claim ownership.

The mine, located between Zuzumbe and Munyati under Chief Samambwa, was taken over recently with the alleged assistance of police officers and soldiers, according to sources close to the matter.

Abigail Julius Zigandiwa says the claim was made by Godfrey Tapfumanei, a man from Gweru, using fraudulent papers to displace her from the mine left to her by her late husband, Simbarashe Mupasi, who died in 1998.

“I have been running and living on this mine for years without any challenges. I was surprised to hear that the mine now belongs to someone from Gweru,” Zigandiwa said in a video recorded shortly after she was evicted.

“I would like to appeal to the First Lady, Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, to help me as a woman.
Goddy just came from nowhere and started offering to build a house and a borehole for me. But I already have my own house here. Now they are coming with their big cars and harassing people living at my homestead, demanding to see my papers.
When I ask them to show their papers, they refuse. I do not know what to do now,” she said.

This publication has seen a letter dated 4 July 2026, written by Chief Samambwa, which confirms that the mine was handed over to Zigandiwa by her late husband.

“Samuel Mupasi, ID 58-204416T53, owned this mine. He passed away in 1998 after he was murdered at the same compound. His remains were buried there and that is where his grave is. Therefore, no one can claim ownership of the mine outside the Mupasi family,” the letter reads.

Efforts to get a comment from Tapfumanei were unsuccessful as his phone was unreachable at the time of publication. However, this publication is in possession of a letter Tapfumanei presented to effect the eviction, purportedly from the Ministry of Mines. The authenticity of the document could not be independently verified.

The case highlights a growing problem of mine invasions in Zimbabwe, where politically connected individuals, machete-wielding syndicates, and powerful cartels are accused of invading legally registered gold and chrome claims, often resulting in the displacement of legitimate operators.

Zigandiwa says she will pursue legal avenues to reclaim the mine.