This archive report was first published on 8 July 2021.
On July 8, 2021, a bitter dispute erupted between Chinese diplomats and Zimbabwe's labour unions over claims of widespread worker abuse by Chinese businesspeople.
Chinese investments in Zimbabwe have grown significantly in recent years, with major projects in mining and construction. However, these investments have been marred by allegations of ill-treatment of local employees.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), the country's largest labour centre, recently exposed what it described as 'slave-like working conditions' at a Chinese-owned tile manufacturing factory in Harare.
According to the ZCTU, workers at the Sunny Yi Feng factory were being paid below the minimum wage and were forced to live in overcrowded accommodation where they were exposed to hazardous chemicals.
The union also claimed that some workers had died at the factory, and their deaths were covered up by the Chinese management.
The Chinese embassy in Harare responded angrily to the allegations, warning that they could damage relations between the two countries.
'Recently, some have made a series of accusations on social media against Chinese enterprises in Zimbabwe by circulating some unidentified video clips,' the embassy said in a statement.
'All these accusations ultimately target China-Zimbabwe cooperation and China's foreign policy towards Zimbabwe,' it added.
The embassy accused the unions of launching a 'smear campaign' against China, and insisted that Chinese companies operating in Zimbabwe always complied with local laws and regulations.
The Chamber of Chinese Enterprises in Zimbabwe (CCEZ) also weighed in, denying the allegations and accusing the unions of making 'baseless claims' and 'falsehoods'.
However, the ZCTU secretary general, Japhet Moyo, stood by the union's accusations, saying they were backed by evidence and that the company should focus on addressing the issues rather than engaging in public relations stunts.
