Droppers’ in bloody clashes over gold claims
“If you try to talk to the gangsters, they drop the names of top people in government.”
Two days later, RMC workers and shareholders protested against Betterbrands, closing the entrance into the mine.
The police arrested 11 of them and took them to court but they are now out on free bail after the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights stepped in with legal assistance.
Peter Zheke, the RMC workers’ committee chairperson said a creditors meeting on September 9 resolved that Betterbrands must leave as it was failing to honour its pledge to pay the employees, who he said were owed some US$7 million.
At its peak RMC, which was owned by Metallion Gold, produced between 30kg to 50kg of gold a month.
Kingstone Chitotombe, the Environmental Management Agency’s Manicaland provincial manager confirmed that they had received complaints of serious land degradation caused by operations of Betterbrands.
“We have had complaints on land degradation and we are engaging them. We are trying to establish facts on the ground,” he said.
In a letter dated October 1, 2021 addressed to Sakupwanya, Knowledge Hofisi, the interim corporate rescue manager ordered that operations at the mine be suspended for 14 days.
“Disturbances at the mine is degenerating to unsustainable levels… On September 9, 2021, creditors and shareholders of Redwing Mining Company passed a resolution to rescind post-commencement agreements.
“We write to advise that mining operations have been suspended with immediate effect for the next 14 days…” reads part of the letter.
Minutes of the September 9 meeting held in Highlands, Harare, confirmed the position.
The minutes showed that 100% of creditors had voted in favour of cancelling the agreements that made Betterbrands proceed with mining operations at the Redwing mine.
However, investigations revealed that the Betterbrands management had from October 7, 2021 started deploying artisanal miners from Kwekwe onto the mine at night while name dropping Mnangagwa.
In an interview, Hofisi refused to comment on the alleged name-dropping.
“As a creature of the High Court, at law I am obliged to pursue the rescue plan agreed on,” he said.
“Issues of name-dropping may arise, but I cannot dwell on them.”
He confirmed there was a decision to stop Betterbrands operations in Penhalonga but urged negotiations between the warring parties.