adminLungile Tshuma Sunday News Correspondent
TILLING the land during this time of the year can lead to strange finds, two families that discovered a discarded machine gun and grenade in Tsholotsho and Nkayi respectively, will testify.Sources close to the developments said a family which resides at Tsereste Line in Tsholotsho discovered an AK47 when they were tilling their land on Tuesday.
Headman Sibindi, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, confirmed the incident.
“A local villager called Bigboy Ncube discovered the gun when he was tilling Mr Joseph Mjoza’s farm. Both Mjoza and Ncube panicked and the matter had to be reported to the police who then came and took the gun,” Headman Sibindi said.
“No-one bothered to touch the gun as we were not certain what might happen. However, the gun had no magazine. But, we are now afraid because there is a possibility that we can be sitting on top of many weapons of which some might be dangerous.
“We kindly ask Government to deploy people in the area so that they can inspect and see whether there are no other dangerous arms. There is a possibility that we can discover land mines and that will be helpful because we do not want people to live in fear.”
In another similar incident, a family in Gwelutshena in Nkayi also reportedly discovered a grenade while they were tilling the land. The family is said to have run for dear life as they were afraid that the grenade might explode.
“There was pandemonium when the family saw the grenade. The father knew it was a grenade but some family members who were present had no idea what it was.
“Police officers from Gwelutshena had to come and assist by just warning the villagers from coming close to the grenade,” said the source from the police in Gwelutshena.
Contacted for comment, Matabeleland North police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Siphiwe Makonese referred all questions to national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba who did not pick her phone.
Online Reporter