The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sunday News Reporter
A SYNDICATE at Goldmore Milling Company in Inyathi, Matabeleland North, allegedly connived with an outsider and stole gold ore concentrate last Saturday that had been brought in by Ferrero C Mining Company.
The gold ore was waiting to be refined in the second stage of processing and had been left overnight at the company’s premises when it was stolen. Ferrero C manager, Mr Ephraim Mutanda said the concentrate was stolen as it was about to be taken for smelting.
He revealed that the small-scale miners had been expecting 140 grammes of the mineral from the concentrate which would have been sold for above to US$6 000. Impeccable sources at the milling company confirmed the incident but declined to be identified for fear of reprisals.
Mr Matanda said he discovered the theft on Sunday morning. “We gave them the ore last Saturday and after the initial process of milling, the concentrate was moved to a secure strong room for safekeeping before the smelting process as it was in the evening. In the morning before the smelting, I asked for the bucket that contained the ore as I wanted to wash a cloth and when I was given I realised the contents were different from what we had left inside the previous night. This is when we made a query and the company had to go to their CCTV footage, which clearly showed the theft taking place,” he said.
Mr Matanda claimed the footage showed the security guards opening the room for a stranger who went in and took the ore and replaced it with a sack that had various items. An official at the company, who declined to be named, confirmed the theft.
“Yes, the incident happened and we apprehended three security guards who were on duty on the day. It was clear from the footage they had connived with the person who went in and stole the concentrate. The arrested guards include Courage Tozireva, Tendai Wekare and Dickson Damaseke. Wekare and Tozireva were handed over to the police while Damaseke ran away and is at large,” he said.
The official said the suspects had appeared at Inyathi Magistrates’ Courts. Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwe Republic Police were fruitless.
