Jubilee Mahlamvana
ZVISHAVANE – The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Walter Chidhakwa last week warned small scale miners commonly known as ‘makorokoza’ to get their act together and stop murdering each other.
Chidhakwa was speaking during the handover of tonnes of relief aid donated by Mimosa Mining Company to floods victims in Mberengwa and Zvishavane.
His remarks come in the wake of reports on bloody machete attacks pitting rival gold panning groups fighting to control disputed gold claims, leading the police in Kwekwe to impose a ban on the possession of machetes.
“We received a report in cabinet from state security on how people are engaging in violence and killing each other. It is also not just killing but kucheka-cheka afa sezvinonzi hazvina kukwana kumuuraya. Our chiefs are not happy with this.
“A cabinet committee has been set to make sure this comes to an end. Violence in the mining sector is very bad and I warn those doing that to stop it now. I will also be coming soon with the Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of State Security and Minister of Defence to meet the political leadership and JOC so as to stump out this menace,” warned Chidhakwa.
Reports of bloody violence between rival groups of informal miners are not new, with Mberengwa, Gokwe and some parts of Kwekwe recording incidences of murder in the recent past.
In 2007, there were also reports of gruesome murders between camps of rival informal miners during the Chiyadzwa diamond rush.local
