Online Reporter
Fidelis Munyoro-Chief Court Reporter
MUTAPA Gold Resources has welcomed the Government’s withdrawal of a disputed siting of works approval previously granted to Botha Gold Mine, saying the move confirms its objections that the document had been used to support what it described as a fraudulent attempt to extend mining operations into Freda Rebecca Gold Mine’s Mining Lease 21 (ML21).
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development withdrew and nullified the siting of Works approval for Botha 1-4, registration numbers 46035-38, in a letter dated April 29, 2026 signed by Mashonaland Central Provincial Mining Director T. Kashiri.
“Accordingly, the Siting of Works, which was approved on the 21st of April, has been withdrawn and nullified,” Mr Kashiri wrote after consultations involving parties linked to the dispute and ongoing court proceedings.
Copies of the letter were sent to Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in Bindura, and the Officer Commanding Mashonaland Central Province.
The withdrawal followed objections raised by Mutapa Gold Resources, operators of Freda Rebecca Gold Mine, over claims that Side Electrical (Pvt) Ltd, trading as Botha Gold Mine, had submitted manipulated coordinates linked to a disputed Siting of Works plan, allegedly placing Botha Mine inside ML21 despite its registered mining location being elsewhere.
Days after the ministry’s decision, Side Electrical withdrew an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) addendum it had submitted to EMA.
In correspondence dated May 6, 2026, the company asked EMA to withdraw the submission to “enable us to attend to the correspondence that you requested”.
Mutapa said the withdrawal followed its objections to EMA over what it termed a forged Siting of Works plan.
“We welcome the withdrawal of the forged Siting of Works plan by the Ministry of Mines. This document was used to mislead EMA during the Environmental Impact Assessment process,” Mutapa said in a letter dated May 8, 2026 addressed to the Provincial Mining Director.
The company said geo-referenced overlays linked to the disputed plan had been altered to place Botha Mine within ML21.
“It became clear that Ministry of Mines officials who processed this document did so fraudulently by placing Side Electricals in ML21 contrary to its actual registration position,” Mutapa said.
The company further alleged that the disputed plan was intended to increase Botha Mine’s operational footprint without legal authority.
“The plan was aimed at increasing Botha’s area without a certificate or authority supporting this expansion. This constitutes fraud,” the company said.
Mutapa also challenged the ministry’s assertion that the matter involved a boundary dispute before the courts.
“We note with concern that your office has created the impression that there is a boundary dispute and a pending court case on a boundary dispute when no such case exists,” the company wrote.
Mutapa named four Ministry of Mines officials, who it accused of processing the disputed Siting of Works document dated 17 April 2026. The officials are S. Madiro from Engineering, P. Mushangwe from Geology, S. Mutamba from Metallurgy, and C. Manyunga from Survey.
“The conduct of these officials amounts to fraud, forgery and abuse of office,” Mutapa said.
The company warned that if a “clear position not be adopted in writing” by May 8, a “criminal complaint for fraud, forgery, and criminal abuse of office will be filed with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe Republic Police”.
The complaint was copied to the Secretary for Mines and Mining Development, EMA, and the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
The dispute follows earlier allegations by Freda Rebecca Gold Mine that Botha Mine had submitted “fraudulently surveyed coordinates” intended to shift Botha 1-4 onto portions of ML21.
