Residents of Mushenjere village in rural Mvuma, Midlands province, have been coerced by suspected state security agents into accepting inadequate compensation for their displacement. This displacement was necessary to make way for a US$1.5 billion steel production project by the Chinese-owned Dinson Iron and Steel Company (DISCO).
Over 100 families were offered a fixed payment of US$1,500 for land preparation, a sum that disregards the substantial improvements they had made to their ancestral land over decades. Furthermore, the relocation houses provided to them have already developed cracks.
The villagers argue that the compensation received is far less valuable than the properties they had developed over generations.
Joseph Mupfumi, director of the community-based organization Centre for Research and Development (CRD), highlighted the villagers’ ongoing struggle to protect their land rights. He reported instances of arrests, harassment, and death threats perpetrated by state agents, political leaders, and government officials.
“Residents were forced to sign agreements against their will by Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents. They were told they would never prevail against the government, and a state agent was made to sign as a witness,” Mupfumi stated. “Those who attempted to resist found themselves under surveillance by CIO agents. This meager amount is also expected to cover their land preparation expenses, as well as food, education, and transportation for their families at the new relocation site.”
Additionally, villagers have accused DISCO of environmental damage, leading to negative consequences such as food shortages and severe dust pollution.
The large-scale steel plant, launched in 2023, is touted as one of the largest integrated steelworks in Africa.
