A Bindura-based mining dispute between Botha Mine and competing claims linked to Freda Rebecca Gold Mine has intensified after allegations that lawyer Samel Rusike of Canterbury Mining has been advising Mutapa Gold Resources in a way that has allegedly deepened confusion on the ground.The developments come as Mutapa Gold Resources, a subsidiary of the Mutapa Investment Fund, faces mounting scrutiny following revelations that it told key stakeholders the long-standing dispute at Botha Mine had been resolved, even as High Court battles remain pending.
At the centre of the dispute is Rusike, who has become a centre of attraction with mounting allegations that he has been giving advice to Mutapa Gold Resources, hence the latest confusion around what is happening at Botha Mine.Sources say there is no clear information regarding the capacity in which Rusike is operating, raising questions about the nature of his involvement. There is mounting suspicion that the company he works for, owned by Dutch billionaire and investor Marcel Boekhoorn through his investment firm, Ramphastos Investments, and run by Australian national Gary Seabrooke, may either have a significant interest in the dispute or may be unaware of his involvement, particularly given its previous history with the mine.“Rusike has been the chief architect of the confusion at Botha Mine, and we strongly doubt that the firm he works for is aware, unless they too are involved,” said one source close to the developments.Rusike is no stranger to controversy. In 2023, The NewsHawks reported on X (formerly Twitter):
“These legal persons have been bragging through their employees, Rusike and one Scott, that we will never win any cases in Zimbabwean courts. Even if we did win, we as Korzim will not be able to enforce any court order. They claim to have paid Ministers (names withheld) USD1 million each. They used the Minister of Mines officials, ZRP Officers and personnel from intelligence to elbow us out of our mining claims.”
Notably, the tactics alleged in this earlier account bear a striking resemblance to some of the events currently unfolding at Botha Mine.
Attempts to obtain a comment from Rusike, who is also Group Secretary, Spokesperson and Communications lead for Canterbury Mining, were unsuccessful.
Sources in Bindura say the company’s messaging has not matched operational reality at the mine, where contractors and workers report that disagreement and administrative confusion are growing rather than disappearing.Mutapa, according to its disclosures, said it had turned artisanal mining into a formal gold production model across its Bindura operations, in a push to boost output and protect State interests. The model, it said, is being rolled out at its Phoenix Prince area, popularly known as Kitsiyatota, and is said to replicate arrangements already operational at Jena Mine in Silobela and Elvington Mine in Chegutu.However, contractors and sources in Bindura dismissed the claims as premature, insisting Botha’s dispute was far from settled.
They allege that the confusion has been driven by double and triple allocations of mining shafts to contractors—an issue described as potentially explosive given the stakes and the tight margins under which mining contractors operate.One contractor said Mutapa’s public assurances amounted to a misleading picture.
“Sadly, the picture being put to the public is not what is happening on the ground. The regularisation announced by Mutapa was just a mirage because, as we stand, conflicts have already started on the ground. There is massive double and triple allocation of shafts, and this might lead to a chaos outbreak,” the source said.The dispute has also spilled into contracting arrangements.
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Sources claim that Mutapa moved quickly to announce regularisation despite pending High Court cases challenging the appointment of a contracting firm known as Navid, fronted by Angela Mpofu.
In addition, there are strong allegations that Navid is linked to Mutapa CEO Patrick Shayawabaya, with claims that the CEO is a shareholder in the same contracting firm—an allegation characterised as a gross conflict of interest by critics.Mutapa has also been placed under pressure over Navid’s contract timing and procurement procedure.Navid’s contract is expected to expire, but controversy continues to simmer over claims that the firm was appointed without a competitive tender process, intensifying calls for investigations into procurement fairness and governance.While Mutapa has not publicly linked its actions to Rusike, multiple stakeholders in Bindura said the lawyer has been meddling in the Mutapa–Botha conflict by providing advice that they believe helped shape the company’s approach.They allege that the advice contributed to a situation where claims of “resolution” are not aligning with legal and operational realities—especially as disputes remain before the courts.
At the core of the escalating dispute is a relatively small area of land—estimated at 56 hectares.
Freda Rebecca Gold Mine argues the area forms part of the much larger Historical Mining Lease 21, reportedly spanning close to 1,400 hectares.Yet, despite the size of the contested area, contractors, workers and surrounding communities say the conflict has grown into something far bigger—affecting thousands of livelihoods and access to income.A major theme raised by contractors is proportionality: why a disagreement over operational boundaries and allocations has triggered consequences that now ripple through labour, supply chains, and community life.Sources say various political stakeholders, including influential political leaders in the province, are dissatisfied with Mutapa Gold Resources’ management of affairs at Kitsiyatota. Canterbury Mining and Gary Seabrooke are no strangers to controversy either, having previously been embroiled in various mining disputes. Seabrooke has also faced tax-evasion charges in Australia and was the subject of a 2012 Daily Telegraph article headlined, “Another Liechtenstein ‘bandit’ targeted.”As tensions continue to rise, communities and contractors are watching whether the courts will bring clarity—particularly on the Navid appointment, the status of contested allocations, and the broader governance questions now surrounding Mutapa’s governance and communications.
