Own Correspondent
Over 100 illegal gold panners have invaded Hope Fountain, on the outskirts of Bulawayo, engaging in chaotic riverbed alluvial mining activities marked by violent clashes.
The situation has escalated, prompting the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to deploy officers to restore order.
“We deployed a crack team to attend a case of illegal mining in Hope Fountain and found a group of over 100 gold panners involved in illegal gold mining,” said Inspector Abednico Ncube, Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson.
The influx of panners comes after Zimbabwe banned riverbed alluvial mining last month to protect the environment. However, enforcement has been inconsistent, leading to the destructive effects of alluvial mining, including water pollution, siltation, and degradation of river ecosystems.
“The gold panners had invaded a mine shaft located in a riverbed within a mining claim belonging to a registered miner,” Insp Ncube said.
“We managed to arrest seven of them while others fled in different directions.”
Villagers, who had been living in fear, are now able to resume their daily activities after police restored order. Local village head Mrs Ngonidzashe Ncube described the situation before the police intervention:
“They were constantly fighting with machetes and knobkerries over who had the right to mine in the river. We were terrified for our lives.”
Registered miner Mr Charles Muyambo, who runs Faunglum Mine, said he has received death threats from the illegal gold panners after trying to chase them away:
“A group of over 30 men were hunting for me after I reported their illegal mining activities to the police.”
Mr Muyambo fears that the panners may return once law enforcement officers leave:
“Our lives will be at risk again, and this will negatively impact our operations. We employ locals, and if this continues, we may be forced to halt operations, leading to job losses.”
Local villager Mr Lungisani Mlambo said they stopped walking around at night for fear of being attacked by the marauding gangs:
“No one in their right mind should be carrying machetes, threatening to hack people to pieces. The level of violence is shocking.”
Zim GBC News©2024