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Locadia Mavhudzi Midlands Correspondent
ARTISANAL miners have been identified as the key drivers of violence against women in the Midlands province after being implicated in most gender based violence (GBV) cases reported in the mining towns of Zvishavane, Shurugwi and Kwekwe.

The Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development’s development officer for the Midlands Provincial Mrs Sithembile Dube said the closure of mines such as Shabanie, Sabi, Van guard and downsizing of Ziscosteel and Zimasco has led to the rise in artisanal mining activities in these towns and the subsequent increase in GBV and sex work.

“Artisanal miners are the key drivers of GBV in the Midlands province. The mining towns have also experienced rampant machete attacks that are usually targeted at spouses and women selling sex,” she said.

“Our one stop GBV center at Gweru Provincial Hospital last year handled over 1000 cases of gender based violence with 90 percent perpetrated by men.”

She said this while presenting facts at a women provincial stakeholders symposium held in Gweru recently.
Mrs Dube said statistics reveal that more women below the age of 25 were last year physically abused and assisted at the one stop centre in Gweru

“As of 2018, a total of 1160 cases of GBV were attended to at the One Stop Centre at Gweru provincial hospital. Of these, females below the age of 25 constituted 95 percent of the victims,” she said.