The Sunday News
Michael Magoronga
Kwekwe residents are now living in dread as gold panners who operate in mines surrounding the city are causing a reign of terror with cases of them hacking each other becoming the order of the day.
Business in the Central Business District is usually disrupted by machete wielding gold panners who besiege the CBD in pursuit of each other, usually as a result of minor misunderstandings.
Recently, police had to fire warning shots to disperse a group of machete wielding panners who were giving chase to their counterparts whom they accused of stealing their gold ore.
The violence is not only limited to the city centre as it has since spread to the townships with Amaveni being the most affected as most of the panners hail from the city’s oldest township.
Rutendo’s Simbi Park is another haven for rowdy characters, with minor cases being reported in Mbizo, Gaika and Lanchashire townships. Lately, a resident Edson Masendeke fell victim to the rowdy panners who stabbed him twice on the chest for failing to account for his accomplice whom they were hunting down for allegedly looting their staff.
Another panner was stabbed to death in Amaveni while drinking beer in a case which had emanated from the mines.
Ndabezinhle Nkiwane was sliced to death by an assailant who has been on the run in connection with more than seven other murder cases in Gwanda, Silobela and Zhombe among other places.
Hardly a week ago, another gold panner was left for dead near KwaMaiguru bar, another usual spot for the panners, after he was hacked all over the body with machetes by his colleagues reportedly for attempting to run away with gold ore they had worked for at Homestake. He died on his way to Kwekwe General Hospital.
In an attempt to reduce the bloodshed, police have put up notices announcing that it is a crime to be found in possession of dangerous weapons like machetes, knives, axes, screw drivers, among others.
Asked whether police were on top of the situation, Midlands Provincial Public Relations Officer Inspector Joel Goko said the situation was under control and urged parties to solve issues amicably.
An awareness campaign was held by police urging members of the public to desist from violence in Amaveni soon after Nkiwane’s death.
“Ever since the campaign we are yet to receive any other reports of violence, unless if it’s happening without the cases being reported because we deal with reported cases,” he said.
However, a source within the police said at least three cases of machete-related violence are being reported daily.
“People are striking each other with machetes on a daily basis and these cases seem to be on the increase,” said the police source.
Panners who were quizzed by this reporter also confirmed the horrific scenes they are witnessing on a daily basis at their working fields saying one has to carry a machete as a defence mechanism.
“If you are weak you go home empty handed as those armed with machetes will come and loot all your staff while you watch because you will not be in a position to defend yourself,” said one gold panner on condition of anonymity.
Kwekwe Central Legislator Masango Matambanadzo condemned the violence saying he has since engaged the police to map a way forward.
“I am really disturbed by the incidents of violence. I have since engaged the police to see how we can get rid of unruly elements in Amaveni who do not hesitate to use machetes or knives to inflict harm on others,” said the legislator who himself is from Amaveni.
