Mat South small-scale miners meet over lawlessness

SMALL-SCALE miners from Matabeleland South Province have called for heavy police presence in mining areas due to rampant cases of robberies by machete gangs.

A number of robbery cases involving machete gangs have been reported in mining areas in the province. Small-scale miners have lost gold, mining tools, cash and other valuables to the robbers.

Speaking during a meeting on sustainability threats to artisanal and small-scale miners due to machete violence which was held in Gwanda on Friday, miners said their operations were being crippled by robberies. Mr Owen Dube who is a small-scale miner from Gwanda said the robbers invaded their mines during the night.

“At first attacks from machete gangs were as a result of fights over mining claims but now it has moved on to cases of robberies. These gangs invade our mines in the middle of the night while we are asleep and attack us. They then take whatever we may be having which is valuable such as gold, mining tools, cash, cellphones among other things.

“Almost everyday mining areas are invaded by these gangs and we are now living in fear that we might be attacked. As small-scale miners we are still growing and then now we have these robbers who come in and steal the little that we have. We need protection from these robbers and there is a need for heavy police presence in mining areas,” he said.

Miners who spoke during the meeting said there was a need for police to establish bases in mining areas, to increase patrols in hot spots where robbery cases were mostly being recorded and enforce bans against possession of dangerous weapons.

Miners also highlighted on the need to establish crime consultative committees in hot spot areas, for police to raise awareness on zero tolerance to use of machetes, regularise use of detectors as some cases of violence in mining areas erupted after discovery of gold.

Speaking in an interview Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation secretary-general, Mr Philemon Mokwele said the purpose of the meeting was to bring together different stakeholders to come up with solutions to address the problem of machete gangs.

“We called together various stakeholders that comprise police, miners, traditional leaders,

Ministry of Mines (and Mining Development) officials, local authorities and other Government departments. We came up with resolutions on how we can address this problem working together as various stakeholders. We understand that police don’t have enough resources and we all should chip in.”

Mr Mokwele said there was also a need for vetting of miners by police. He said the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development also had to regularise use of detectors as at the moment they could be accessed by anyone including those who are not miners.

@DubeMatutu