Chinese Diplomatic Whiplash--Embassy Tells Citizens in Harare to Halt Bribery and Misconduct

By Delicious Mathuthu

Harare - The Chinese Embassy in Harare has issued an unusually detailed and urgent advisory to its citizens and investors, strongly warning them to adhere to Zimbabwean law, curb corruption, and integrate responsibly with local communities, amid a backdrop of escalating legal and public relations crises at Chinese-run ventures.

The advisory, published on Monday, October 13, 2025, effectively served as an explicit rebuke of several documented controversies in Zimbabwe’s mining sector, China’s largest area of investment in the country.

The diplomatic notice was clear in mandating strict compliance across several sensitive areas.

On due diligence, the Embassy directed nationals to avoid controversies and read the environment first.

“Conduct a comprehensive and thorough assessment of Zimbabwe's political, economic, social and legal landscape.

"Scrutinise all project details, with a particular focus on identifying potential risks and avenues for resolving disputes, establishing robust risk management protocols from the outset.

"Avoid involvement in any ventures that might lead to controversies or disputes,” the Embassy said.

The language on corruption was particularly harsh, directly addressing long-standing local complaints.

“Bribery and corruption are illegal in both China and Zimbabwe. Bribery, or solicitation of bribes is strictly prohibited under any circumstances.

"If you encounter bribery solicitation, extortion, abuse of power, or other acts of corruption, you should report it to the Zimbabwean police or the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and provide relevant evidence to assist in the investigation," the Chinese Embassy said.

Concerns over violence and personal safety, often involving armed Chinese personnel, were also foregrounded.

“The illegal possession of firearms is strictly prohibited. If firearms are legally possessed, their storage and use must be subject to the highest level of control measures to ensure full compliance with local regulations and eliminate the risk of firearms being lost or used illegally,” they said.

The advisory follows a turbulent period where several Chinese-owned mines have faced severe criticism from labour unions, civil society and even senior Zimbabwean government officials.

In July 2025, a top official in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office, Tafadzwa Muguti, publicly rebuked Chinese investors over illicit financial flows.

“The majority of you businesspeople are not banking. You are keeping money under mattresses, floors, or roofs. If this continues, our economy will collapse.

"There will be no liquidity in the market. We are now directing you to bank your money,” Muguti said.

He also highlighted cultural insensitivity, particularly the desecration of ancestral graves at mining sites.

Last month, September, 14 Chinese Nationals were arrested in Highlands, Harare after detectives bust a drug party and found cocaine, crystal meth and other substances.

On violent incidents, they have repeatedly strained relations as the statement comes on the heels of an incident in Mutoko where a local was allegedly killed at a Chinese mine, while the locals say the man was killed for demanding his salary, the Chinese firm says he was part of a robbery gang.

In 2024 and early 2025, a spate of incidents, including a viral video showing two Chinese managers physically abusing employees and a shooting incident involving a Chinese national at a mine, prompted widespread condemnation.

The Embassy stressed that investors must change their operational philosophy.

“We will integrate our own development into the local development process and operate as a development partner of Zimbabwe. We will strengthen interaction with local communities with a respectful and responsible attitude, strictly abide by local labour laws and environmental standards, and actively implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects,” said the Embassy.