By Staff Reporter
Zimbabwe’s High Court has fined Labenmon Investments, a Chinese-owned cement manufacturer, US$3 000 for contempt of court after it continued operating in Hurungwe despite a binding order to halt works.
On 30 September 2025, Justice Philda Muzofa found Labenmon Investments and its Operations Director, Daniel Mlalazi, guilty of defying a provisional order she had issued on 4 February 2025. The earlier order stopped all commencement works at Wih-Zim Construction Material Investments Cement Manufacturing Plant in Magunje, Hurungwe District, pending investigations by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) into alleged breaches of the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate.
The ruling came after villagers from Chasara and Kapere, represented by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), filed a contempt of court application on 26 February 2025. The villagers argued that the cement maker had wilfully disregarded the stop-work order and pressed ahead with operations that encroached on their farming and grazing land.
Justice Muzofa ordered Labenmon Investments to pay a US$3 000 fine within a month and directed the firm to immediately cease operations until the main matter is concluded. Mlalazi was handed a 30-day jail term, wholly suspended on condition that he ensures full compliance with the court order.
In a statement, ZLHR welcomed the judgment, describing it as “a clear affirmation of the rule of law.” The human rights lawyers said: “This ruling demonstrates that communities are not powerless when corporations act outside the law. It reaffirms that the courts remain a vital safeguard for protecting citizens from unlawful corporate conduct.”
ZLHR further noted that the ruling underscored the principle of accountability. “What this judgment makes clear is that court orders are binding, and no company, regardless of its ownership or financial standing, can place itself above the law,” the organisation said.
The human rights group also commended the villagers for pursuing the matter despite intimidation and pressure. “The resilience shown by the affected communities is commendable. Their determination to defend their land and environment is an important example of civic courage,” ZLHR added.
Separately, EMA also fined Labenmon Investments US$5 000 after inspectors found the company had failed to comply with conditions set out in its EIA certificate. An inspection report compiled in July revealed that the cement manufacturer had violated key environmental provisions under certificate numbers L10000034346 and L10000099080.
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