Treasurer-General Patrick Chinamasa has confirmed that the ruling party,Zanu-PF received a US$50,000 donation from South Africa-based chrome mining company FS Mining, spearheaded by its Chief Executive Officer, Precious Mabuza, the daughter of the late former South African Deputy President David Dabede Mabuza.
The donation, officially handed over on Monday, October 6, at the Zanu-PF headquarters in Harare, is intended to support preparations for the party’s 22nd National People’s Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Mutare, Manicaland Province, from October 13 to 18, 2025.
Mabuza personally delivered the funds alongside her brother and company Operations Executive Officer, David Mabuza Jr.; Communications Officer, Sepadi Thobejang; and the Zimbabwe Resident Officer, identified only as Mr. Marimira. Chinamasa welcomed the delegation and described the donation as a demonstration of appreciation for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business” policy.
“This generous contribution reflects the confidence South African investors have in our economic reforms and their support for our vision of national development,” Chinamasa said. “FS Mining’s gesture is a clear signal that Zimbabwe continues to attract international investment and that our policies are yielding tangible results.”
FS Mining, according to Chinamasa, operates chrome mines in Zvishavane and maintains a minerals refinery in South Africa. The company is planning to expand its operations in Zimbabwe by installing a chrome washing plant before the end of the year, followed by the eventual development of a smelting facility. The new washing plant is expected to be shipped from China shortly, he noted.
FS Mining CEO Precious Mabuza Donates US$50,000 to Zanu-PF Ahead of National People’s Conference
“FS Mining is a South African-registered company mining chrome in the Zvishavane area and owns a minerals refinery in South Africa,” Chinamasa wrote on his X handle. “The company intends to set up a chrome washing plant by year-end and a smelting plant in Zimbabwe in the near future. Delivery of the new washing plant from the People’s Republic of China is imminent.”
He added that the donation to Zanu-PF represents more than just financial support. It is “an expression of gratitude for the pronounced and declared policy of President E.D. Mnangagwa that Zimbabwe is not only open for business but is also a friend to all and an enemy to none.”
While party officials have welcomed the contribution as a symbol of goodwill and confidence in Zimbabwe’s economic landscape, the donation has also drawn scrutiny from investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who raised concerns about the growing interconnectedness between Zanu-PF and South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) elites.
Chin’ono argued that financial and business relationships between South African investors and Zimbabwe’s ruling party could influence Pretoria’s foreign policy towards Zimbabwe, suggesting these ties reflect a “network of elite interdependence” driven more by personal and transactional interests than ideological alignment.FS Mining CEO Precious Mabuza Donates US$50,000 to Zanu-PF Ahead of National People’s Conference
“This is the core of the problem,” Chin’ono said. “The relationship between South African political elites and their Zimbabwean counterparts is transactional and self-preserving. There is no way a political party in South Africa will make a decision that harms the personal financial or political interests of those who run that party.”
He further asserted that until these cross-border networks of influence are addressed, South Africa’s response to governance and human rights issues in Zimbabwe will continue to be constrained. “This network ensures that both the political and economic elite maintain mutually beneficial relationships that compromise any independent foreign policy stance,” Chin’ono stated.
FS Mining’s investment and political engagement in Zimbabwe come at a time when the government is aggressively promoting foreign direct investment, particularly in the mining sector. The chrome industry remains a key revenue earner for the country, with operations like FS Mining expected to boost export earnings and generate employment.The company’s planned projects, including the chrome washing and smelting plants, are projected to create several jobs for local communities in Zvishavane while contributing to broader industrial development goals outlined by the government.
As Zanu-PF ramps up preparations for its 22nd National People’s Conference in Mutare, the donation to Zanu-PF underscores the party’s ability to attract support from regional business leaders. However, it also highlights the complex entanglement of business, politics, and diplomacy in southern Africa, raising questions about the influence of private investment on political decision-making and regional relations.
For Zanu-PF, the contribution is both a financial boost and a public relations win, reinforcing its narrative of an investor-friendly environment under President Mnangagwa. Meanwhile, critics like Chin’ono continue to call for greater transparency and scrutiny of the financial and political networks linking Zimbabwean and South African elites.The upcoming party conference in Mutare is expected to draw thousands of delegates, senior officials, and international observers, and FS Mining’s donation is set to play a supporting role in the logistical and operational arrangements for the event.
Source- Nehandaradio
