Harare Correspondent
Five Security State Agents, including members of the Presidential Guard and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), are facing serious charges of extortion and robbery.
They are accused of holding Chinese miners hostage at a mine in Mazowe and demanding a US$2,000 ransom for their release.
Details of the Incident
On October 19, the accused—Samuel Zvishamiso Simbabure, Respect Zuva, Chamunorwa Victor Chinorwiwa, Hilary Maravanyika, and Tawanda Ngoshi—reportedly posed as officers from the Criminal Investigations Department. They gathered Chinese national Enjie Zhang and 25 other mine workers, threatening them with violence if they attempted to escape.
The group demanded to see the miners’ identity documents and work permits. When the miners were unable to provide the necessary permits, the suspects accused them of illegal mining and insisted on a US$2,000 bribe for their release.
Zhang managed to contact his manager in Harare, who arranged for the money to be delivered to Zimbabwe House, where Ngoshi collected it.
Additional Developments
One miner managed to escape and sought additional funds from another mining site, resulting in an extra US$800 payment that facilitated the release of the hostages.
However, the demands from the suspects did not cease after the initial payment. On October 21, Simbabure allegedly contacted an informant at Zimbabwe House to request further bribes, prompting the informant to alert the authorities.
Law enforcement subsequently apprehended Simbabure and Maravanyika at the scene, leading to the identification of the other suspects, some of whom are still at large.
Court Proceedings
The five accused individuals are scheduled to return to court on Tuesday to contest their placement on remand.
This case highlights serious concerns regarding corruption and abuse of power within Zimbabwe’s security forces.
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