Zimbabwean Man Shot Dead At Mutoko Mine, Family Gets US$6,500
A Chinese-owned mining company in Mutoko has paid US$6,500 (about R118,000) to the family of a Zimbabwean man who was shot and killed at the mine. The settlement, signed before a local traditional leader on 11 October 2025, has triggered mixed feelings across Zimbabwe, with some condemning it as a “mockery of justice” while others linked it to the African traditional practice of kuripa ngozi (appeasing avenging spirits through compensation).
The fatal shooting and settlement
The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed that the incident happened at around 2 a.m. on 9 October 2025 at Makosa Mine in Mutoko, Mashonaland East. According to police, a Chinese national, 43-year-old Quijun Yu, allegedly opened fire in the Boiler/Carbon room after several people pounced on the area. The victim, identified as 36-year-old Fungai Nhau, was shot dead. Yu has since been arrested.
Reports from The Zimbabwean state that an agreement was struck between China Zhuhe Mining representatives and the Nhau family at Chief Nechombo’s community court on 11 October. The deal promised the family 15 live cattle, valued at US$300 (R5,400) each, or cash, along with US$200 (R3,600) for school fees for Nhau’s three children. The total payment was US$6,500 (R118,000).
The handwritten document was signed by Chief Negomo.
Outrage and cultural debate
The agreement has been widely condemned. Award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono shared the document on X on 12 October 2025, describing it as “a grotesque mockery of justice.”
He wrote:
“This handwritten horrible agreement is a grotesque mockery of justice and a reflection of how broken Zimbabwe’s governance has become. It reduces the killing of a Zimbabwean man, Fungai Nhau, by a Chinese national to the value of cattle and a few hundred dollars, turning a human life into a crude financial transaction.”
Chin’ono added that chiefs should not legitimise criminal cases.
“Such an arrangement has no legal standing; homicide cases belong in a court of law, not in a village negotiation that trades justice for silence.”
While many echoed his outrage, others pointed to the traditional practice of kuripa ngozi, where compensation is paid to the family of a deceased person to prevent avenging spirits from haunting the living.
One user argued:
“Pachivanhu mhosva yagara inongo ripwa (In our culture, wrongs have always been compensated). This does not mean the perpetrator will not be prosecuted. It simply addresses the spiritual side.”
This has sparked mixed feelings, with some insisting the settlement undermines the justice system, while others say it reflects African customs that cannot be ignored.
Public reactions
Social media remains sharply divided.
One commentator said:
“Hope with US$6,500 only, a murder case is settled. What a joke. ZANU PF has turned us into a laughing stock.”
Another disagreed, noting the cultural dimension:
“They understand the culture at least. This is kuripa ngozi, not an excuse to avoid the courts.”
Others called for the arrest of the traditional chief who presided over the agreement, accusing him of betraying his people.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission were also tagged in the discussions, with users questioning why the case had not been addressed at a national level.
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The post Chinese Miner Pays US$6,500 To Family Of Zimbabwean Man Shot Dead At Mutoko Mine appeared first on iHarare News.
