Summary
On 13 September 2026, one of AMAP’s community monitors in Bikita reported that people unknown to the Mufuka community had entered Mhiripiza Mountain, a sacred site near the Bikita lithium mine, and carried out activities there without the knowledge or consent of the chief or village head. The monitor’s report names Bikita Minerals. AMAP’s country brief records that the community was not informed or consulted in advance, and residents fear harm to the community.
The report does not say who the individuals were, when they went to the mountain, or whether they have any link to the company or its contractors; AMAP is verifying these points. Mufuka is among the communities near the mine named in reporting on its expansion (China Global South Project), and the company gave notice in September 2026 that it will relocate 76 graves for that expansion (Daily News). In Zimbabwe, access to sacred sites connected with mining is customarily arranged through the area chief and spirit mediums (Zimbabwe Now).
AMAP has accepted the report for preliminary verification. The mining connection is unconfirmed. AMAP’s first contacts are the site’s custodians and the heritage authority: reporting places Mufuka Village under Chief Marozva (China Global South Project, Jul 2025), and AMAP is confirming who oversees Mhiripiza Mountain. AMAP has also asked Bikita Minerals and its parent group whether any of their staff, contractors or visitors went to the mountain, and how they identify and protect sacred sites around their operations. AMAP does not attribute conduct to anyone on the basis of nationality.
Full details →View the location on Google Maps ↗
Key facts
| Site | Mhiripiza Mountain Sacred site of the Mufuka community |
|---|---|
| Company named in report | Bikita Minerals (Private) Limited Link under verification |
| Parent company | Sinomine Resource Group Controlling shareholder since 2022 · SZSE 002738 · acquisition |
| Issue | Entry onto a sacred site without consent Chief and village head not informed |
| Mining link | Under verification Company named by the monitor |
| Date of activity | Not stated Before 13 Sep 2026; being confirmed |
| Reported to AMAP | 13 Sep 2026 — |
| AMAP action | Company and authorities contacted |
| Respond by | 21 Oct 2026 7 working days after notice |
| Coordinates | -19.9751785, 31.4375827 Submission point, not the mountain |
| View on | Google Maps |
| Last updated | 12 Oct 2026 |
Response status
Sources
- AMAP community monitor report
IR-33570200, 13 September 2026 - AMAP Zimbabwe country brief
September 2026 - 4 published reports
2024 to September 2026
Case timeline
- Jul 2025Mufuka named in reporting on disputes over the mine’s expansion (CGSP)
- Before 13 Sep 2026Mufuka community reports people entering Mhiripiza Mountain without consent (date being confirmed)
- 13 Sep 2026AMAP community monitor reports the matter to AMAP (IR-33570200)
- 22 Sep 2026Bikita Minerals gives notice to relocate 76 graves for its expansion (Daily News)
- 12 Oct 2026AMAP contacted the site’s custodians, the heritage authority, the company named and the authorities, and asked them to respond
- 21 Oct 2026Response deadline
Parties asked to respond
AMAP has contacted these parties and asked them to respond. The site’s custodians and the heritage authority are the first verification contacts. The others own or operate the mine named in the report, or hold public responsibility for heritage, local government or human rights in the area. The company’s involvement is unconfirmed, and a request to respond does not imply that AMAP has found any of them at fault.
| Organisation | Role | What AMAP has asked | Respond by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Marozva and the Mufuka village headFirst verification contact. Reporting places Mufuka Village under Chief Marozva (CGSP, Jul 2025); custodianship of Mhiripiza to be confirmed. Letter delivered through the District Development Coordinator | Traditional leadership; customary custodians (to be confirmed for Mhiripiza) | Who has customary responsibility for Mhiripiza Mountain; whether they were informed of, or consented to, the activity reported; and what protocols apply to the site. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| National Museums and Monuments of ZimbabweFirst verification contact, with the custodians. Southern Region (Masvingo) officenatmus@nmmz.co.zw · +263 242 774208 · Contact page | Heritage authority | Where Mhiripiza Mountain is; whether it is recorded or protected as a heritage site; and whether it has received reports of activity there. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| Bikita Minerals (Private) LimitedNamed by the AMAP community monitor; link under verification+263 8688 006 123 · Published contact | Company named in the report | Whether any of its employees, contractors or visitors went to Mhiripiza Mountain; how it identifies and protects sacred sites in and around its lease area, including whether they were assessed for the expansion; and whether it engages the chief and village heads before entering such sites. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| Sinomine Resource Group (SZSE 002738)sinomine@sinomine.com · +86 10 8858 8188 · Contact page | Parent company (controlling shareholder) | Whether the group has a policy on respecting sacred sites and local cultural protocols, and how it is applied at Bikita. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage | Ministry responsible for cultural heritage | Any action on reported interference with sacred sites near mining operations in Bikita. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| District Development Coordinator, BikitaChannel to the traditional leaders | District administration; liaison with traditional leaders | Delivery of letter to the traditional leaders; any reports received by the district administration. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| Bikita Rural District Council | Local authority | Whether the council has received complaints from Mufuka about activity on the mountain. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
| Zimbabwe Human Rights Commissioninfo@zhrc.org.zw · +263 392 261 814 · Masvingo office | National human rights institution | Whether it has received complaints from the Mufuka community, and any action taken or planned. | 21 Oct 2026 | ⏱ No response yetRead response ↓ |
Local partners and others reporting
These organisations work with communities around the Bikita mine or have published on community and heritage concerns there. AMAP has contacted them to ask whether they hold further information. None is a party to the reported incident. Anything they choose to share will be published below and linked here.
| Organisation | Type | What they have published | What AMAP has asked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bikita Institute for Land and Development | Local verification partner | Community advocacy on the mine’s local benefits; its executive director, Mountain Mujakachi, was quoted in July 2025 (CGSP). Current role to be checked. | Whether it can help locate Mhiripiza Mountain, identify its custodians and share any relevant records. | ✉ ContactedRead update ↓ |
| Bikita Integrated Residents Association | Community information partner | Residents’ views on the mine; its spokesperson, Brilliant Mukaro, was quoted in July 2025 (CGSP). Current role to be checked. | Whether it knows the site or has received reports about activity there. | ✉ ContactedRead update ↓ |
| Centre for Natural Resource Governanceinfo@cnrgzim.org · +263 786 913 423 · Contact details | Civil society organisation | Reporting on community concerns, including ancestral land, around the mine (2024). | Any information on Mhiripiza Mountain or other sacred sites near the mine. | ✉ ContactedRead update ↓ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource CentreContact page | Human rights organisation | Tracking of allegations and company responses on Bikita (company page). | Whether it will seek the company’s response on this report. | ✉ ContactedRead update ↓ |
| China Global South ProjectContact page | Media | Report on disputes over the mine’s expansion naming Mufuka (Jul 2025). | Any reporting on sacred sites near the mine. | ✉ ContactedRead update ↓ |
Case progress
Every report follows the same documented steps.
What was reported
According to the AMAP community monitor’s report, members of the Mufuka community saw people they identified as Chinese nationals going up Mhiripiza Mountain, a sacred place, carrying sorghum, rapoko, chilli, pots and eggs, and performing rituals on top of the mountain.
The report names Bikita Minerals as the company concerned. It does not state the date of the activity, how many people were involved, or whether they work for the company or its contractors; these are being verified.
Community impact
- Sacred site: entry and activity reported on a mountain the community regards as sacred, near the mine.
- Consent: AMAP’s country brief records that the community was not informed or consulted.
- Spiritual harm: residents fear disturbance of ancestral spirits and harm to the community.
- Wider context: graves are being relocated for the mine’s expansion.
Rights at stake
The rights at stake include the right to take part in the cultural life of one’s choice (section 63 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution), freedom of conscience and belief (section 60), and the community’s interest in protecting its sacred sites, which are customarily overseen by traditional leaders.
AMAP does not attribute conduct to any person on the basis of nationality, and does not determine whether any law or customary rule was broken. AMAP documents what has been reported, presents the evidence, and asks those with responsibility to respond.
What happens next
The custodians, the heritage authority, the company named and the authorities AMAP has contacted have been asked to respond by 21 October 2026, seven working days after notice. Substantive responses will be published on this page, with redactions where needed to protect personal or confidential information.
AMAP will update this page as the mountain’s location, the date of the activity and the individuals’ affiliation are confirmed.
Evidence
Material held by AMAP, and published reports. Each report is summarised, with a note on what it covers. Links open in a new tab.
Submitted to AMAP
- 13 Sep 2026
Report from an AMAP community monitorWritten account from the Mufuka community of people entering Mhiripiza Mountain without consent; names Bikita Minerals as the company. The location recorded is the monitor’s submission point, not the mountain. - September 2026
AMAP Zimbabwe country briefRecords the report as a cultural-heritage concern, notes that the community was not informed or consulted in advance, and lists it as the second sacred-site concern in Bikita in AMAP’s records. - Company and authorities
No responses yetResponses were requested by 21 October 2026. No earlier public statement on this matter has been found.
Assessment so far
- EstablishedMufuka is among the places near the Bikita mine named in reporting on its expansion. In September 2026, Bikita Minerals gave notice that it would relocate 76 graves for its expansion.
- Reported, not yet confirmedThe activity on Mhiripiza Mountain; when it took place; who the individuals were and whether they have any link to Bikita Minerals or other mining or exploration; the mountain’s exact location.
- Outside AMAP’s roleDetermining whether any law or customary rule was broken. AMAP does not attribute conduct on the basis of nationality.
What would help clarify: the mountain’s location; the date(s) and number of people; any link to the company, such as vehicles, uniforms, known staff, survey pegs or drilling nearby; the position of the chief and village head; and photographs taken with the consent of anyone shown.
Published reports
- 22 Sep 2026 · Daily NewsGraves
Bikita Minerals to relocate 76 graves Reports: Bikita Minerals gave notice that it intends to exhume and relocate 76 graves within its lease area in Bikita West to make way for expanded mining operations. Coverage: a separate cultural-heritage matter at the same mine; it does not mention Mhiripiza Mountain. - 17 Feb 2026 · Zimbabwe NowPractice
Why ancient rituals command the modern mining industry Reports: rituals held before mining at mountains and other sites are usually led by the area chief and spirit mediums; at Mutoko, investors were allowed to mine one mountain but not another after spirit mediums advised against it. Coverage: general practice in Zimbabwe; it does not mention Bikita. - 28 Jul 2025 · China Global South ProjectLocation
Bikita Minerals expansion sparks community disputes in Zimbabwe Reports: reports disputes over the mine’s expansion and places Mufuka Village under Chief Marozva. Coverage: a relocation dispute; cited here for Mufuka’s location near the mine. - 2024 · Centre for Natural Resource GovernanceHeritage
The tarnished horizon: unveiling the dark side of lithium mining in Bikita Reports: accuses the mine of encroaching on the community’s ancestral lands and calls on the government to protect the community’s heritage. Coverage: an advocacy report; it does not mention Mhiripiza Mountain.
Relevant reporting standards (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards are widely used by companies to report on their impacts. AMAP uses them to frame its questions; their inclusion is not a finding of compliance or non-compliance.
GRI 14 guide →Responses and updates
Responses, and updates from organisations reporting on the case, will be published here and linked from the tables above.
The company’s public statements
No public statement by Bikita Minerals or Sinomine on this matter has been found.
Commitments
None known.
Community confirmation
The position of the chief and village head has not yet been received.
Remedy status
Company link: unconfirmed Traditional leaders: not yet heard Heritage status of the site: unconfirmed
Related records
Documents and organisations connected to this case. Links open in a new tab. Inclusion does not mean a document confirms or disproves the report.
Other stakeholders
- Sinomine Resource GroupParent company · SZSE 002738
- National Museums and Monuments of ZimbabweHeritage authority
- Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural HeritageCultural heritage
- Zimbabwe Human Rights CommissionNational human rights institution
- Centre for Natural Resource GovernanceCivil society organisation
- Bikita MineralsCompany named in the report
How to cite this case
Africa Mining Accountability Platform (AMAP), “Reported entry onto Mhiripiza Mountain, a Mufuka sacred site, without community consent, near Bikita Minerals’ operations”, IR-33570200, last updated 12 October 2026.
