By Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – The CID Minerals Unit has arrested Zaka District Development Coordinator (DDC) Gift Machukele and Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) Chairperson Fungai Maregedze for malicious damage to property (MDP) in connection with illegal excavations at the government compound where soldiers and Zanu PF officials allegedly searched for buried treasure following claims made by a white man last year.
The duo will spent another night in custody and will be back in court tomorrow (November 28) for bail application.
The arrests followed weeks of unauthorized digging at the hilltop government complex where alleged army personnel cordoned off the area around the DDC’s residence so that ordinary villagers could not pass through or have access to the area.
Sources who spoke to TellZim News however said the two’s arrests indicated that what they were doing despite being public office bearers.
“The arrests confirm this was never an official operation. Machukele and Maregedze were directly involved in authorizing these illegal excavations, and the CID Minerals Unit moved in after the damage to government property was reported to different authorities,” a senior government source told TellZim News.
Maregedze was arrested during a council meeting at Zaka RDC offices yesterday (November 26), where CID officers confiscated her belongings and escorted her out.
“She was visibly shaken and asked a councillor to immediately contact her husband, Clemence Chiduwa who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Zaka South, to intervene in the matter,” said a council insider.
The treasure hunt began last year when a white man claiming to be the son of Zaka’s first District Administrator approached the then DDC Memory Dhliwayo.
“A white man who said his father had buried gold and other treasures near the government house approached Dhliwayo and even provided a map. That’s when Maregedze, Chiduwa and Dhliwayo brought some excavators but they were stopped from exploration and the heavy machines went back,” revealed a source.
Another source provided a different account of how the treasure hunt began, suggesting Dhliwayo discovered a tunnel through one of the rooms after an accident.
“Dhliwayo discovered a tunnel beneath the house after she had accidentally fell in through one of the rooms. It probably had a trap door but could have been destroyed with age. That’s when they investigated and found that underneath it looked like a mine, prompting them to attempt exploring,” said the source.
Events that followed resulted in Dhliwayo being threatened with eviction from the house, and she had refused to comment on the matter when contacted by TellZim News last year.
Sources indicate that when Machukele assumed office, he attempted to legitimize the ongoing excavations by writing to the Minister of State, claiming he had discovered tunnels beneath his official residence.
“Machukele’s letter was just damage control. The truth is his predecessor, Dhliwayo, first discovered these tunnels and reported an underground mine. Machukele simply continued what she started,” said a source.
The involvement of Maregedze, who has mining interests in Mashava, was imminent since she had already shown interest in the place during Dhliwayo’s time.
“Maregedze and her husband Chiduwa provided the excavators and the manpower for the exploration. Chiduwa used his influence as Zaka DCC chair and his links to other high offices to bring in the army under the guise of exploring for minerals. She used her proximity to power to operate at a government house and using the army was a good diversion,” revealed a source close to the investigation.
Villagers near the government compound expressed relief at the arrests but remained concerned about environmental damage.
“We’ve lived in fear since these excavations began. The constant digging and talk of explosives made us fear for our safety. The government must restore order and hold those responsible accountable,” said one villager.
