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It is alleged that the group of illegal panners were lured into the fight by promises of getting mining claims and a chance to meet Minister Obert Mpofu to address some of their operational challenges.
The illegal panners on Friday last week and on Monday besieged Chaka Plant, about 5km outside Amaveni suburb, which is run by MidKwe, demanding that the directors should abandon their mining operations.
They were allegedly led by one Mapurazi and deputised by another local man who went by the name Saddam.
Workers at Midkwe alleged that they suspected the illegal panners gang was sent to harass them by KCGM.
Police have confirmed the arrest of one person over the skirmishes.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said the police could, however, not shed more light as the matter was now before the courts.
“We did receive a report from people alleging that they had been assaulted by a group of people. Police managed to arrest one suspect in connection with the matter but we cannot give you further details as the suspect has since appeared before the courts in Kwekwe. You have to follow the developments at the court as per procedure,” she said.
MidKwe is engaged in a legal battle over mining rights at the gold-rich Globe and Phoenix Mine just outside Kwekwe central business district with Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM).
Sources said KCGM, which also operates as Homestake, has since barred MidKwe from entering the mine by locking up the main entrance gates.
However, when a Chronicle news team visited the Chaka Plant, it was business as usual.
The milling machine and crusher were operational with MidKwe workers busy with their daily duties.
Security manager Mr Joel Kapfudzaruwa, confirmed that they were operating normally despite the disturbances on Friday.
“Everything is alright here. Our dumpers and earth moving machines are there. We are busy drilling. We only stopped operating briefly when EMA ordered us to do so in compliance with some environment friendly measures that needed to be met first. Homestake had an interdict that stopped them from operating Chaka Plant. The police and the Mining Commissioner at one time were here and disturbed us from operating.
This is despite the fact that MidKwe had a High Court order that allowed them to operate,” he said.
Mr Kapfudzaruwa said MidKwe later approached the Supreme Court and obtained an order to proceed with operations.
He said it was difficult for MidKwe to completely suspend operations as it had pumped more than $600 000 to resuscitate the Chaka Plant left lying idle by its previous white owner.
Mr Kapfudzaruwa said last week and on Monday a group of suspected illegal gold panners came to the plant singing and shouting.
He said the group told them that they should go back wherever they came from as Kwekwe resources were only meant for the city’s residents.
“It was apparent that the panners had been hired as some of them were doing it half-heartedly save for a few individuals. They were led by one Mapurazi who was in the company of a man by the name Saddam. Some of the panners told us that they had been ordered to come and make noise at the plant by the said two gentlemen if they wanted to continue panning for gold at the ‘pits.’ They said they also had been promised some claims and a chance to meet Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu, who would then address their challenges as panners,” he said.
Mr Kapfudzaruwa said MidKwe’s staff of about 140 workers was now gripped with fear as the group showed little signs of dispersing.
He said the group had blocked the Chaka Plant’s two exit and entry points.
“We only managed to go and make a report to the police in Kwekwe after the group dispersed suddenly. Saddam came back from the other end of the plant and told Mapurazi who was barking instructions that they had been instructed to leave the plant. Whoever it is who ordered them off our premises should have been a powerful person as they wasted no time in disappearing,” said Mr Kapfudzaruwa.
He said MidKwe was, however, still failing to access the rich-mine shafts at Globe and Phoenix Mine as Homestake was still locking them out.
KCGM director, Mr Emmanuel Nhamo, said the matter was best handled by the courts adding that his company had nothing to do with the group that visited Chaka Plant.
He said MidKwe’s operations were an open defiance of a court interdict.
“We believe it is best if the matter is to be decided by the courts. Whoever wants to support us should do so within the ambits of the law. We tried to engage MidKwe but they did not want. The problem is MidKwe want to bank too much on the partnership they entered with Carslone but that is not binding because as Homestake we gave the tributary to Carslone alone. We only got to know about MidKwe when they were introduced to us verbally by Carslone,” said Mr Nhamo.
Online Reporter