Gideon Madzikatidze
HARARE – Zimbabwe’s labour movement is sounding the alarm on a growing ‘modern-day slave trade’ by politically connected elites, military figures and foreign investors, who are accused of exploiting workers and undermining rights amid the government’s push for Vision 2030, a plan to achieve upper-middle-income status (by the year 2030).
In a stark warning, Kennias Shamuyarira, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU), claims that the country’s industrial and commercial sectors are increasingly dominated by interests that prioritise profits over people, citing several incidences countrywide where Chinese firms are reportedly involved in gross human rights violations and extreme disregard for labour laws compliance.
“You here some Army Generals claiming that there is no need to fight with Chinese because they are our all-time weather friends. Even our highest political offices shield them whenever there is need for a redress including where communities are maimed, abused or injured. They prioritise endurance from extreme injuries over injustices,” Shamuyarira said.
“In Mutoko, Mhondoro Manhize (Dinson Iron and Steel Mining), Shurugwi, Hwange, Bindura, Mount Darwin in Mukaradzi and countrywide, communities have become daily victims to Chinese cheap source of labour whilst Generals and politicians are disguising them as investors. We are under siege from neoliberals, politicians who have become employers, generals and scrupulous employers disguised as investors, pushing our people into cheap labour and slavery,” Shamuyarira further claims.
Attempts by unions to engage with Chinese-owned companies have been blocked, with workers reportedly facing exploitation, low pay, and unsafe conditions.
“Our quest to address these existing labour abnormalities remains a futility because the Chinese have influenced the outcomes. Dinson is one of the greatest hell where labour remains a rhetoric rather than reality,” Shamuyarira added.
“We need all Chinese and their purported investments to adhere to labour laws. They should prioritise locals not brag about their proximity to politicians and Army Generals. There is no need for protection, immunity or excuse from labour laws or rights disregard,” he added.
Shamuyarira criticised the “political capture of the labour market,” where military and political figures own key companies, weakening unions and labour inspections. He stressed that Vision 2030 cannot succeed on the back of “insecure, underpaid, or unsafe labour,” urging investors to respect “decent work” standards.
The standoff highlights a critical tension: can Zimbabwe’s economic ambitions coexist with growing worker discontent? The outcome could shape the country’s path toward its 2030 goals—and its social fabric.