Gold panners attacked in mining dispute

Chronicle Reporter

THE battle of ownership for Legion mine in Matabeleland South’s Matobo district last week took a dramatic turn when gold panners operating within the concession were attacked in what is suspected to be a political ploy to force them out.

A mine ownership wrangle between Bulawayo businesswoman, Mrs Siphiwe Gasha-Dube and a mining consortium, Turfwall Mining (Pvt) Ltd, has been going on for years unresolved which has resulted in gold panning consortiums descending on the area.

Mrs Gatsha-Dube was evicted from five mining claims at Legion Mine in 2016 after operating at the disputed mine for over 16 years.

High Court Judge Justice Maxwell Takuva in 2016 suspended operations at the mine following an urgent chamber application by Turfwall Mining citing Mrs Gasha-Dube, police and the provincial mining director for Matabeleland South as respondents.

However, in the latest incident some gold panners operating in the mine were last week attacked by unknown assailants who accused them of being members of the MDC and reaping where they did not benefit.

Speaking to this publication from his hospital bed at Tshelanyemba, one of the victims Mr Mehluli Sibindi said he was convinced that the attack was not about the ownership of the farm but was politically related.

“This is not the first time of such attacks, actually my mother, Ms Regina Moyo, a known MDC member in our village died under mysterious circumstances in 2017 as she complained of stomach pains after coming from a funeral wake, as a family we strongly suspect it was food poisoning.

“In the day in question they took me to some house in the dead of the night and they beat me so hard, that they broke my leg, as is the doctors are saying they could be forced to amputate my leg, I am in so much pain. As they beat me they were accusing me of being a member of the opposition,” said Mr Sibindi.

Questioned whether he would resume the gold panning activities, Mr Sibindi said he was not sure because panning was the only source of income which he knew.

Sibindi declined to be taken any pictures for security reasons.