Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
VUMBACHIKWE mine in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province was left with a trail of destruction following a violent demonstration that started in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The demonstration is reported to have been ignited by the spouses of the mine workers. The spouses had initially notified the police of their intention to conduct a demonstration against the mine management over unpaid salaries.
However, in a response seen by the Sunday News, Officer Commanding Gwanda district Chief Superintendent Mandlenkosi Moyo advised the miners’ wives that they had no right to demonstrate as they were neither employees at the mine or members of a mine worker’s association.
In a statement, the management of the mine confirmed that the demonstration and narrated some of the property that was destroyed.
“In clear and blatant defiance of the police directive, the spouses, mostly women and girls, barricaded the mine at around 3.30am on the morning of Tuesday 8 November and started staging an illegal strike. They went on to stage an illegal protest which crippled mine business and further obstructed mine officials from switching on the generators when a loss of power was experienced.
“With the women and girls as human shields, some mine workers and suspected hired protestors joined in prompting the police to eventually resort to firing teargas to disperse the illegal gathering at around 18:00 hours after a whole day of work had been lost and the mine flooded,” reads the statement.
The mine further reported that the demonstrators tore down gates, scaled the perimeter fence before burning vehicles, destroying the mine ambulance and school bus.
“The demonstrators vandalised mine shafts and broke a newly refurbished mine clinic which serves both mine workers and the surrounding community,” reads the statement.
While the cost of damages to the mine is yet to be ascertained, the mine management have reported that families of targeted mine officials were harassed, their homes destroyed while the occupants, mostly women and children had to seek refuge under beds, in cupboards and wardrobes.
“With threats of being torched inside the houses, several sustained injuries while others were assaulted by the mob. Management has since evacuated some of the families of the affected until the situation has normalised and their safety guaranteed.
“As a result of the destruction and losses, management wishes to advise that there shall unfortunately be consequences including the disruption of production and normal operations until the affected infrastructure is replaced,” reads the statement.
Meanwhile, the Minister of state for Matabeleland South Abedinico Ncube visited the mine to assess the trail of destruction. The mine management says it has started engaging the workers to iron out the disputes between the two parties.
An effort to get a comment from the police was fruitless, however, reports say a total of 183 workers were arrested on Wednesday following the demonstration.
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