Online Reporter
Peter Matika, [email protected]
POLICE have arrested security guards at a gold mine in Bubi District and launched a full-scale investigation into a chilling shooting incident that claimed the life of a 31-year-old man on Sunday, as tensions simmer within the mining community in the wake of the tragedy.
The victim, identified as Thabo Ngwenya, was reportedly on his way to a nearby shop close to DGL5 Mine when he was shot dead. Ngwenya was allegedly shot three times in the chest by a mine security guard while walking past the mine perimeter. Another young man, Nkosikhona Moyo, who had been sent to the shops by his mother, was also shot and injured in the arm.
The mine owner has been accused of adopting a hostile stance against anyone walking close to the premises. Sources in the area alleged that the fatal shots were fired by mine security personnel — a claim now at the centre of police investigations.
Ngwenya collapsed and died on the spot, sending shockwaves through the community and heightening fears over what residents described as a growing pattern of heavy-handedness and sporadic violence around some mining operations.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident, saying detectives have since been deployed to Bubi to unravel the motive and precise circumstances leading to the shooting.
“We are investigating a case in which a 31-year-old man was fatally shot near DGL5 Mine in Bubi on Sunday. It is alleged that he was shot during a heated confrontation between three security guards and a group of miners, who were demanding the release of one of their colleagues who had been detained for trespassing,” said Commissioner Nyathi.
He identified the guards as Mbekezele Mbeki and Elisha Mastwayi, who have since been arrested and are assisting police with investigations. Commissioner Nyathi urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid retaliatory behaviour, warning that taking matters into their own hands would only worsen tensions.
“We strongly condemn acts of violence and call upon communities to exercise restraint. The law will take its course, and we appeal to anyone with information that may assist our investigations to come forward,” he said.
Detectives are still piecing together the events leading to Ngwenya’s death, including tracking potential witnesses and conducting forensic assessments at the scene. The body of the deceased was taken to a local hospital for a post-mortem as part of ongoing investigations.
Commissioner Nyathi further appealed to residents in mining communities — where conflicts often flare up over gold claims, boundary disputes, or alleged trespassing — to promptly report threats, suspicious movements, or confrontations to police before tensions escalate.
“We need communities to work together with the police to ensure peace and safety. Early reporting can save lives,” he said.
The incident has left the Bubi community unsettled, with some residents calling for stronger oversight over private security operations at mining sites. Police are expected to release further details once initial findings are completed.
On the day of the incident, witnesses alleged that the mine owner does not want people walking close to the premises, further claiming that this is not the first time such an incident has happened. When police arrived to collect the body, the community blocked them, fearing the case would be “swept under the carpet.”
Angry miners and residents then escorted the police vehicle carrying the body to the mine’s main gate, where they burnt tyres and threw stones, breaking office windows. After a tense standoff, the crowd forced open the small gate, removed the metal coffin, and dumped it inside the guard room at the entrance. The police eventually left the body in the hands of the community before the miners drove away.
Ngwenya’s elder brother, Mr Simisosenkosi Moyo, said the family was shattered. At the height of the standoff, Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Lot Mbambo stepped in to calm tensions. He spoke to the chanting crowd, the grieving family, and the mine owner, slowly persuading villagers to allow police to retrieve the body. After several tense hours, his intervention brought the situation under control.
