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Freedom Mupanedemo and Michael Magoronga, Midlands Reporters
ONE person was shot in the head while several others were injured when a group of machete-wielding artisanal miners clashed at Amaveni Shopping Centre in Kwekwe on Sunday evening.
Several cars that were parked at the shopping centre were damaged including those belonging to one of the rival gang’s leader, Likwa Ncube.
The incident came barely a week after Minister of State for Midlands Affairs, Cde Owen Ncube, condemned machete attacks in Kwekwe, saying they were deterring investors. Police sources in Kwekwe confirmed the incident yesterday.
The police said Ncube, who drew a pistol and opened fire, was arrested but immediately escaped from police custody after police failed to disarm him.
“We have launched a manhunt for Ncube who escaped from police custody after being initially arrested in connection with the violence that broke out on Sunday evening at Amaveni Shopping Centre,” said police sources.
A witness, Mr Taurai Chigande, said all hell broke loose when Ncube arrived at the shopping centre and confronted a member of the rival group, whose name could not be ascertained, asking why they were denying his members access to Gaika Mine.
Gaika Mine was recently opened under the Kwekwe Community Ownership Trust and there have been intermittent clashes among rival artisanal miners since then.
Mr Chigande said a machete war immediately erupted on Sunday with the rival groups using machetes and iron bars to attack each other.
“They used machetes to attack each other. It was a fierce fight that brought business at the shopping centre to a halt as the rival groups fought running battles.
“Likwa (Ncube) and his gang were forced to flee abandoning their cars. The cars were then smashed by the machete-wielding rival gang. They also damaged parked cars belonging to patrons” he said.
Another witness, Ms Laizer Nyoni, a bar lady at the shopping centre, said she escaped death by a whisker after one of the gang members jumped over her counter while fleeing. “Stones and machetes were thrown towards me but somehow, I managed to escape unhurt. There were gunshots as well,” she said.
Ms Nyoni said the fierce fight lasted about one hour and was only quelled by the police who fired warning shots. “Some of the injured were taken to Kwekwe General Hospital while one Lamulani Moyo who was shot in the head during the fight was rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital where he is said to be in a serious condition,” she said.
Ncube, who leads a group of notorious artisanal miners, has a pending court case and is supposed to appear in court on May 10 for malicious damage to property after he allegedly led another clash with rival artisanal miners at Gaika Mine.
He is also out on bail in connection with a murder case which occurred in 2016 in Kwekwe.
Witnesses said Ncube led the violent clash at Amaveni Shopping Centre on Sunday evening that left people injured and property destroyed.
When The Chronicle visited Amaveni Shopping Centre yesterday, several vehicles that were damaged during the fierce fight were still at the scene with the owners assisting police with investigations.
Acting Police spokesperson for Midlands province Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende yesterday declined to comment, saying she was still to get details of the fight.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo