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Snr Asst Comm Charamba

Lovemore Meya Herald Correspondent
OVER 30 illegal gold panners ran amok and attacked six people after raiding a gold mine in Sanyati in search of gold ore last week.

Among the six people who were injured was the owner of the mine, located in Mukochi Game Park, Chakari, under Sanyati constituency. The six were seriously injured after they were attacked with machetes and logs.

The mine owner, whose name is being withheld, is still receiving treatment at Kadoma General Hospital. He sustained deep cuts on the head after he was struck four times and had two fingers amputated.

The matter has since been reported to the police, who are still investigating the case. No arrests have been made. Police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the report.

“I have received a report of an incident of people who were attacked by illegal gold panners and the case has been reported at Chegutu police station,” she said. “The police are investigating the matter and no arrests have been made.”

A land developer and war veteran, Cde Felix Dube, who was also struck once on the forehead and left with a fractured right hand, was still in shock after the attack.

“We were at the mine in Mukochi Game Park at around 1am when the gang of over 30 illegal gold panners, machete-wielding, pounced on us,” said Cde Dube.

“We questioned what they wanted, but no one answered as they rounded us and I sounded alarm for everyone to run for dear life. One of them saw me running away and told his group to kill me.

“He came after me and hit me with a log, fracturing my right hand in the process. Without wasting time, he also struck me with a machete on the forehead and I fell to the ground.”

Cde Dube said when the attacker attempted to finish him off, he managed to fight back. “We were three war veterans with some youths who were going to work at the mine,” he said. “Two of us were injured and another man was left with deep cuts all over his body. “I have since reported the matter at Chakari Police Station under case number 48/08/17.”

In an interview on his hospital bed, the owner of the mine said: “These people got wind of the news that we were mining more gold ore. They came armed and attacked us, I fired a warning shot, but they kept on advancing.

“I was severely attacked because of the gun, they tried to seize it, but failed, leading to one of them getting shot on the leg when we wrestled for the gun.

“The terror gang looted some ore, beating up everyone and stole their cellphones.”