A storm is brewing in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central, where local landowners are clashing with businessman Paul Tungwarara over a controversial riverbed mining and rehabilitation initiative linked to the Government.
Tungwarara, who serves as an investment adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and is chairman of Prevail Group International, is at the centre of growing disputes surrounding the “Presidential River Rehabilitation Programme.” The project, which started as a pilot in Mazowe, is now being rolled out nationwide.
Officially, the programme is aimed at addressing environmental degradation caused by years of mining activities. Authorities say the initiative focuses on desilting rivers, restoring water flow, and rehabilitating ecosystems affected by illegal and uncontrolled mining, particularly in Mashonaland Central.
However, the project has become highly contentious.
Local landowners in Mazowe are accusing Tungwarara and his company of overstepping boundaries, with some alleging that the so-called rehabilitation work is in fact a cover for gold extraction from riverbeds. The concerns have been amplified by the awarding of exclusive rights to Prevail Group International, a move that reportedly bypassed competitive tender processes and effectively created a monopoly over river rehabilitation operations.
Critics argue that such an arrangement raises serious questions about transparency, accountability, and fairness in the allocation of national projects. Some stakeholders claim they were neither consulted nor adequately informed before operations began in their areas, fuelling resentment and mistrust.
The programme has particularly targeted rivers previously mined by foreign entities, including Chinese companies, with authorities citing severe siltation and environmental damage. While government officials maintain that the initiative is necessary to restore degraded waterways, sceptics believe the economic incentives tied to gold recovery are driving the expansion.
Tungwarara has publicly maintained that he is not receiving payment for undertaking the large-scale project, presenting it as a national service initiative. However, this claim has been widely disputed by critics, who argue that the nature and scale of operations suggest significant financial interests are at play.
As the programme expands beyond Mazowe to other parts of the country, calls are growing for greater oversight and clarity. Environmentalists, community leaders, and opposition voices are demanding full disclosure of the contract terms, revenue structures, and environmental safeguards associated with the project.
For now, the situation in Mazowe remains tense, with the dispute highlighting broader concerns over resource management, community rights, and the intersection of business and political influence in Zimbabwe’s extractive sectors.
