Chief Charumbira: Bondolfi Gold Claims Spark Eviction Allegations

• Chief Fortune Charumbira is accused of registering a gold claim in Bondolfi, Masvingo, and evicting artisanal miners, a week after advising them to formalize their operations.
• These allegations surfaced days after 42 of 45 Masvingo chiefs voted to recommend his recall from the Senate, with no official reasons provided.
• Charumbira has a history of publicly aligning traditional leaders with Zanu PF, despite a High Court order in 2018 to retract such partisan statements, which he was later accused of defying under Section 281 of the Constitution.
• In 2023, he also faced separate allegations of indecent assault, which he denied, claiming they were fabricated as part of a family and chieftainship dispute.
• No conviction has been publicly reported regarding the indecent assault allegations, which gained regional attention due to his former role as president of the Pan-African Parliament.

The confluence of these allegations, from land disputes to constitutional breaches and personal misconduct, paints a picture of a traditional leader facing significant challenges to his authority and public standing.

Chief Fortune Charumbira, a prominent traditional leader in Zimbabwe, is currently facing accusations of registering a mining claim over a gold-rich area in Bondolfi, Masvingo. These allegations surfaced shortly after he reportedly advised artisanal miners already working in the area to formalize their operations. According to reports, Chief Charumbira convened a meeting with these miners on July 16, 2026, where he encouraged them to legalize their activities.

Just one week after this meeting, Chief Charumbira allegedly proceeded to register a claim that encompassed the entire gold-rush area. Subsequently, he reportedly began evicting the villagers who had been prospecting there. The affected miners have expressed deep resentment, believing that the traditional leader exploited information gathered during their meeting to assert control over the valuable resource. At the time of publication, Chief Charumbira had not issued any public statement in response to these specific allegations.

These recent allegations in Bondolfi emerge against a backdrop of sustained criticism regarding Chief Charumbira's political conduct. He has been consistently accused of openly aligning traditional leaders with the ruling Zanu PF party, a stance that appears to contravene constitutional provisions mandating political impartiality for chiefs. Specifically, Section 281 of the Constitution prohibits traditional leaders from joining or acting in the interests of political parties.

Prior to the 2018 elections, Chief Charumbira publicly declared that chiefs and their subjects would support the ruling party and then-president Robert Mugabe. This declaration prompted the Election Resource Centre to challenge his statements in the High Court, arguing they violated constitutional requirements. The court subsequently ordered Chief Charumbira to retract his remarks and refrain from making partisan political declarations. However, he was later accused of defying this order, reportedly repeating his support for Zanu PF. In December 2018, he was quoted as stating that chiefs were prepared to return to court rather than abandon the ruling party, and he again pledged allegiance to Zanu PF at their 2021 annual conference, drawing further criticism from civil society organizations who accused him of contempt of court and undermining the constitutional neutrality expected of traditional authorities.

The Bondolfi gold claim allegations surfaced just days after Chief Charumbira experienced a significant challenge to his authority from within the traditional leadership structure of Masvingo province. On September 14, the Masvingo Provincial Assembly of Chiefs voted overwhelmingly to recommend his recall from the Senate. Out of 45 participating chiefs, 42 supported the motion, with only three opposing it. Chief Chitanga, identified as Feleni Chauke, and Chief Bota, identified as Christopher Mudhe, were also targets of this recall vote. While no official reasons were initially provided for this decision, the extraordinary scale of the vote indicated a substantial loss of support among traditional leaders in his home province. The recommendation must still navigate relevant traditional-leadership procedures before any formal loss of his Senate seat.

Adding to the complexities, Chief Charumbira faced separate allegations in 2023 concerning indecent assault involving a 27-year-old woman, described in reports as his niece. The complainant reported the matter to police in Masvingo, alleging unwanted sexual advances and non-consensual touching during encounters in Harare. Chief Charumbira denied these allegations, claiming they were fabricated as part of a family and chieftainship dispute involving individuals linked to the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change. He threatened legal action against his accuser and resisted calls to step down from his former leadership role in one of the African Union's prominent institutions, a position he held from June 2022 until April 2026 during the investigation. These allegations garnered regional attention due to his former leadership role in one of the African Union's prominent institutions, a position he was elected to in June 2022 following an institutional crisis over leadership rotation. No conviction related to these accusations has been publicly reported.

Chief Charumbira's career has seen him rise to significant influence, having previously led the National Council of Chiefs and later serving as its deputy president, positions that secured him a seat in the Senate. However, the confluence of these allegations, from land disputes to constitutional breaches and personal misconduct, paints a picture of a traditional leader facing significant challenges to his authority and public standing. The accusations surrounding the Bondolfi gold claims, coupled with the unprecedented vote for his recall from the Senate by his peers, suggest a potential erosion of trust and support within his traditional constituency.

These events underscore the critical importance of adherence to constitutional principles, particularly Section 281, which safeguards the political impartiality of traditional leaders. The ongoing scrutiny highlights the delicate balance traditional authorities must maintain between their community roles and broader national responsibilities, especially when allegations of self-enrichment or abuse of power emerge. The lack of public response to the Bondolfi claims, alongside his history of defying court orders regarding political neutrality, further complicates the narrative surrounding his leadership and the integrity of traditional institutions in Zimbabwe.

This article serves as a critical case study for lawyers and compliance officers advising on mining, land rights, or corporate social responsibility in Zimbabwe. It underscores the significant legal and reputational risks associated with engaging traditional leaders, particularly where allegations of abuse of power, conflicts of interest, or breaches of constitutional impartiality (e.g., Section 281) are present. Practitioners should conduct thorough due diligence on the conduct and legal standing of traditional authorities in any operational area and be prepared to navigate complex disputes involving local communities and powerful figures.

Source: Original reporting via ZimLive.