Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau
A SITE once associated with the torture and imprisonment of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle icons is being given a new purpose with mining operations at Connemara creating employment opportunities for inmates and former prisoners while driving economic activity in the Midlands Province.
Through Connemara Mining Private Limited, an average of 10 to 15 inmates are employed every month under a rehabilitation programme run in partnership with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS).
The company is also offering employment opportunities to former inmates as they reintegrate into society, using productive work to help them rebuild their lives, acquire experience and regain their place in their communities.
The development represents a significant new chapter for Connemara, whose name remains associated with some of the darkest experiences of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
During the colonial era, the Rhodesian government used the facility, alongside detention centres such as Wha Wha and Sikombela, to imprison and interrogate African nationalists and freedom fighters, many of whom endured torture, physical abuse and harsh confinement.
Among those who suffered at the hands of the Rhodesian security machinery was nationalist leader Comrade Leopold Takawira, who was secretly transferred from Sikombela to Connemara, where he was brutally tortured. The injuries and ill-treatment he endured contributed to his deteriorating health and eventual death in June 1970.
The site has since been recognised as a national historical monument in honour of the liberation struggle icons who endured suffering there.
However, today the revival of mining activities is adding a new dimension to the site’s history, with investment in mineral production being accompanied by efforts to support rehabilitation, employment and community development.
Connemara Mining Private Limited board chairman Mr Josphat Sachikonye said the mining venture was established in 2019 as a joint venture between ZPCS’s Bamber Ridleybughani Investments Private Limited and Collage Investment, with BPE Mining Investment joining in 2021.
He said the partnership was founded on the belief that Zimbabwe’s mineral resources could be harnessed to create opportunities for citizens and contribute to community development.
“The company is owned by Zimbabweans, managed by Zimbabweans and employs Zimbabweans.
The plant was designed by Zimbabweans,” said Mr Sachikonye.
He said the partnership with ZPCS demonstrated how commercial activities could complement the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates.
“We employ an average of 10 to 15 inmates monthly as part of their rehabilitation programme, and we extend employment opportunities to former inmates reintegrating into society, honouring the conviction that dignified work is one of the most powerful tools of reform,” said Mr Sachikonye.
The programme gives inmates an opportunity to participate in productive activities, gain workplace experience and develop skills that could help them secure livelihoods after their release.
For former inmates, employment provides a pathway to financial independence and an opportunity to rebuild their lives while contributing to society.
Beyond the rehabilitation programme, the mine is also contributing to infrastructure development and the provision of basic services at the prison and in surrounding communities.
Mr Sachikonye said the company was working with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to supply water to the local community, Connemara Prison and nearby farms.
“The mining company has also contributed towards the rehabilitation of houses at the prison camp and construction of sanitation facilities at the prison stadium.
“The company has invested in rehabilitating the mine’s infrastructure and developing processing capacity, with production increasing by 67 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year,” he said.
The company is targeting to double its 2025 production in 2026 as it expands operations.
In 2024, it commissioned a crushing plant with a capacity of 150 tonnes per hour, which processed 20 000 tonnes of ore during its first year of operation.
Mr Sachikonye said more than US$500 000 had been invested in 2026 towards a leach and carbon-in-pulp pilot plant to verify metallurgical laboratory results and pave the way for expanded production.
“The design, fabrication and installation of a full-scale production plant is scheduled to commence in the second half of 2027, with commissioning expected before the end of 2028,” he said.
Vungu Constituency legislator Cde Brown Ndlovu said the developments at Connemara represented a significant departure from the site’s painful history.
Quoting John 1:46 in the Bible, he reflected on how a place once associated with suffering was now witnessing positive developments.
“This is a beautiful pro-development story under the leadership of President Mnangagwa that is coming out of Connemara. We are talking socio-economic development and we are grateful to all the investors who came on board,” he said.
Chief Gwesela also commended the Second Republic for creating an environment conducive to investment and industrialisation, saying initiatives such as the Connemara project were contributing to economic development.
While the site’s historical significance remains firmly rooted in the suffering endured by liberation struggle icons, its present-day activities are creating opportunities for people seeking a second chance.
