Machete-wielding gang remanded in custody

Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent

The 40 machete-wielding illegal gold panners who besieged a police base in Gokwe North in an attempt to rescue their counterparts who had been arrested for armed robbery, have been remanded in custody.

It emerged in court that nine panners had been arrested for robbery and the 40 stormed Zenda Police Base to free them. 

They were remanded in custody to today for bail hearing by Gokwe regional Magistrate Musaiona Shortgame who was sitting at Nembudziya Circuit Court.

The accused are facing charges of obstructing or defeating the course of justice.

The nine others they were trying to rescue who are facing armed robbery charges were remanded in custody to January 15 for trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Liberty Chimwaradze told the court that on January 6 this year, around 5PM, police details manning Zenda Police base arrested nine panners who were moving around in a Toyota Wish armed with machetes, in connection with a robbery case at Mums Gold Mine in Gokwe North.

The following day, 10 police officers were deployed to escort the accused persons from Zenda Police Base to ZRP Nembudziya.

The police later received information that there were two commuter omnibuses full of armed artisanal miners from Kadoma on their way to rescue the arrested accused persons who are part of their gang known as Branco.

Within minutes, the two commuter omnibuses approached the police base.

“The accused persons who were numbering 40 and armed with machetes, axes, shovels, picks and knobkerries besieged the police base demanding the release of their colleagues,” Mr Chimwaradze told the court.

The accused persons, the court further heard, charged towards the vehicle which was still parked outside with the nine accused and attempted to open the doors so that their colleagues could escape.

They threatened to attack the cops if they did not obey their instructions.

As they moved closer, the police fired warning shots in the air ordering the accused persons to surrender but they did not comply.

Police eventually fired shots at the gang resulting in two members of the gang being seriously injured.

The rest of the gang members were arrested as they tried to flee from the scene.