Gold war erupts

 

The order further directed that police from Fort Rixon should ensure that Ms Ndlovu and her syndicate carry out their activities without any disturbance from Mr Ganda and his workers.

“Despite having obtained an interim order we were surprised on Tuesday night when the Officer in Charge at Fort Rixon Inspector Mukuli came leading a convoy of vehicles and ordered our security personnel to open the gate to our claim.

“He was in the company of Mr Ganda and 11 men whom he introduced as his security personnel. They told us in no uncertain terms that we should vacate the claim and allow Mr Ganda to carry out mining activities,” said Ms Ndlovu.

Insp Mukuli is the one who served the interim order on Mr Ganda on 7 October and endorsed his signature and the syndicate members alleged that he is now going into partnership with Mr Ganda.

They claimed that he was given $1 900 by the syndicate since his detector is being used at the claim.

Members of the mining syndicate claimed that Insp Mukuli has his detector being used at the claim and it is registered in his name in their books.

Ms Ndlovu said Insp Mukuli ordered uniformed police officers who were manning the claim to leave and go back to the station.

Contacted for comment on the allegations made against him, Insp Mukuli said he is not allowed to talk to the Press.

He demanded to know who had given this reporter his cellphone number.

Ms Ndlovu said the disruption of mining activities at her claim, was affecting about 300 workers who eke out a living panning at the claim.

When a Chronicle news crew visited the site yesterday morning the workers could be seen milling around the claim with others said to have gone away.

They said they were chased away by Mr Ganda’s security personnel.

Mr Ganda declined to grant an interview, saying he had no obligation to talk to the Press.

Mr Israel Moyo one of the workers at the claim said the disruption of their work would affect them as they earned their living through mining.

Around midday when Mr Ganda had driven to Shangani business centre, Cde Jabulani Phetshu Sibanda a war veteran, said the 11 guards revealed to him that they were recruited at Shangani Business Centre.

They agreed to join the syndicate and its workers and work started.

By late yesterday afternoon, police were dispatched to the mine where they allegedly threw teargas canisters and forced workers to disperse, leaving behind the claim at Mr Ganda’s disposal.

According to court papers, Ms Ndlovu on 19 February 2008, registered Rainy Day Mining Claim which is also known as Henfrik G under Registration Number 45563.

Ever since she registered the claim she and the syndicate have been carrying out mining activities until 1 October this year, when Mr Ganda and his workers started encroaching into their claim.

On 1 October this year, Mr Ganda registered a mining claim adjacent to theirs and it is also known as Henfrik G registration number 47314.

“On the same date they started conducting mining activities in the applicant’s (Ms Ndlovu) claim, harassing employees and looting gold ore. This was after rich deposits were detected in the applicant’s claim,” reads Ms Ndlovu’s founding affidavit in the urgent chamber application in which the Mining Commissioner is the 2nd respondent.

Meanwhile, workers at Shangani General Dealer claim they lost more than $1 000 after police fired two teargas canisters at the entrance of the shop.

Ms Sithunyiwe Ncube, a worker in the cafeteria housed at the Shangani Business Centre said it was around 8.30pm when Zanu-PF members were enjoying themselves and playing the song Norah, when Insp Mukuli and his team arrived. “They questioned why Zanu-PF members were singing and on his orders two canisters were thrown at the entrance of the cafeteria and people rushed out of the shop to escape the smoke.

“Police followed, beating them and a number of people were injured during the melee. When the police had gone and calm had returned, we came back into the shop only to find that the trunk containing our day’s takings was missing,” said Ms Farai Munashe another worker at the cafeteria.

The women said they went to make a report at the Shangani police base.

This reporter, the workers, Cde Joe Tshuma and Cde Phetshu went to the police base and found it unmanned and were informed that the officers had gone to the shops.

When confronted a sergeant confirmed that they had instructions from their commander, but said they did not know that money had been stolen and promised that they would take the report.