A Chinese-owned cement manufacturer, Labenmon Investments, has been found guilty of contempt of court and fined US$3,000 by the High Court for deliberately defying a court order to stop operations at its Hurungwe plant.
The ruling follows a successful application by villagers in Magunje, Mashonaland West, who were protesting the invasion of their farming and grazing land by the cement maker.
“The High court has fined Labenmon Investments, a Chinese-owned cement maker, US$3 000 for contempt of court after it was found guilty of proceeding with operations in Hurungwe, in defiance of an existing court order,” Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights revealed.
High Court Judge Justice Philda Muzofa initially ordered Labenmon Investments on February 4, 2025, to cease all commencement works at the Wih-Zim Construction Material Investments Cement Manufacturing plant. This provisional order was issued pending the outcome of an Environmental Management Agency investigation into alleged breaches of the company's Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate.
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However, despite the clear directive, villagers led by Gift Kapere and Jonathan Chimufombo complained that Labenmon Investments had willfully ignored the order and continued operations. Represented by Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Kelvin Kabaya of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the villagers filed a contempt of court application on February 26, 2025.
EMA later added to the company's woes, fining Labenmon Investments US$5,000 after an inspection in July revealed that the company had failed to comply with multiple conditions set out in its EIA Certificate before commencing works.
On September 30, 2025, Justice Muzofa granted the villagers' application, finding both Labenmon Investments and its Operations Director, Daniel Mlalazi, in contempt of the provisional court order.
The Judge re-ordered Labenmon Investments and Mlalazi to immediately halt all works at the manufacturing plant until the initial matter concerning the EIA breach is finalised. Furthermore, Labenmon Investments was ordered to pay the US$3,000 contempt fine within one month.
In a message to company leadership, Justice Muzofa also sentenced Mlalazi to 30 days imprisonment, which was wholly suspended on the condition that he ensures the company complies with the High Court order.
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