Chronicle Editor
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
TWO people were killed and several others seriously injured in a violent clash between rival illegal gold miners in Bulawayo on Wednesday.
The fight erupted at Willsgrove East Mine, a registered claim operated by Umguza Black Empowerment Syndicate, over newly discovered gold deposits.
According to reports, the gold panners attacked each other with dangerous weapons including picks, machetes and shovels.
Saturday Chronicle visited the scene later that afternoon, escorted by armed security personnel from the mine. Evidence of the violence was stark, with four men observed suffering serious head and foot injuries.
One individual was found lying lifeless in a ditch, while another writhed in pain after seeking refuge under nearby shrubs. He recounted being attacked alongside his colleagues by a group of approximately 30 men.
“They just appeared from the bushes as we were digging in our pits in the morning around 10am and started beating everyone. We ran in different directions but they caught up with me and another guy and I was struck on the head with a knobkerrie.
Two of the attackers pinned me down and one of them struck both my legs with a machete as if he wanted to chop them off,” said the panner while begging for the mine security guards to give him water to drink as he could not walk.
A second man was lying motionless with deep cuts to both his feet and hands, in what appeared to have been injuries sustained from a machete attack.
The mine owner, Douglas Siziba said the panners have been illegally prospecting for gold from his mine for weeks and a daring group had begun digging for the precious mineral under the cover of darkness, prompting him to make a police report.
He says he wasn’t surprised that rival groups have now engaged in near death skirmishes.
“For the last couple of weeks the panners have been using detectors to search for gold and engage in alluvial mining where they will dig pits using picks and shovels but as the pits got deeper they turned to explosives.
“I reported the matter to the police but because of the huge number of panners that had invaded the mine, the police advised me that they would conduct a raid to round up the illegal miners and arrest them.
Now these guys have butchered one another and I’m not surprised something like this has happened because over 50 panners have been engaging in illegal mining here and they were bound to clash,” said Mr Siziba.
Siziba and his security team were waiting for the police and ambulance crews to attend the scene when the Saturday Chronicle left the site of the bloody skirmishes.
An employee who works for Siziba, who declined to identify himself for fear of reprisals, said the rival gangs started fighting on Tuesday night and a group led by a man known as Shacky was defeated and called for reinforcements.
“Shacky and his group were beaten in a fight on Tuesday night so they called another notorious guy called Sgodo who came with over more guys yesterday morning for revenge and they started attacking anyone who was not in their camp. From the four guys that are lying injured in the bushes, I cannot identify any of them from the local guys who we know so they must have come from other places,” he said.
“I’m told the police are on their way but my biggest fear is that by the time the ambulance arrives some of those guys who are badly injured might be dead.
“We have been told by the police not to contaminate the crime scenes but it’s clear the injured guys are in so much pain,” said Siziba.
Bulawayo police spokesman Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the death of the gold panners.
“Police is investigating two cases of murder which occurred at a mine in Cement Siding on the 22nd of May 2024. On the fateful two gangs who were doing illegal mining activities clashed at this mine over mining activities resulting in the injuries of four victims and one murder.
The police attended the scene and discovered satchels, clothes, shovels and picks scattered all over and four male adults with various injuries on their legs and arms were lying in the bush.
“They also discovered a dead body of one of the victims, Fortune Ncube, a male adult from Matshobane suburb, Bulawayo, lying facing upwards in a shallow gully. The deceased’s body had injuries on the left elbow, both ankles and a deep cut on the left side of the head. Four injured victims were taken to UBH for medical attention where they are still admitted and their condition is stable.
“On the 23rd of May another victim’s body Ncube Mpikelelo a male adult aged 39 of Nkayi District was discovered 2 kilometres away from the mine with deep cuts on the wrist of both hands, sharp cuts on the inner knees of both legs.
Police are concerned with the surge of heinous crimes at mining areas and we urge members of the community and illegal gold miners to desist from illegal,” said Inspector Ncube.
Online Reporter