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Minister Walter Chidhakwa

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
A Government taskforce has been set up to investigate the surge in deaths and injuries of people, especially gold panners involved in turf wars.

The taskforce made up of permanent secretaries and members of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) comes at a time when gold panners are killing and injuring each other week in week out as they fight for the mineral.

In an interview on the sidelines of the handover of humanitarian aid to flood victims in Mberengwa and Zvishavane sourced by Mimosa Mining Company in Zvishavane on Friday, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Cde Walter Chidhakwa said Government was concerned about the loss of life and property in the turf wars.

He said most of the deaths had been recorded in Matabeleland South, Midlands, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central, part of Manicaland and Masvingo.

Although Cde Chidhakwa could not state the exact number of people murdered or injured, he said the number was too high to ignore.

“At the last Cabinet meeting we were shown gory, frightening pictures of people killed or injured in gold turf wars by members of JOC. The images were horrifying.

“People are killing each other mercilessly because of the precious mineral and a special taskforce was set up to look into this problem,” said Cde Chidhakwa.

“The taskforce has permanent secretaries who are going to go to the affected provinces and find out the causes and how to put an end to it. They will visit Matabeleland South, Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Central and parts of Manicaland on this fact finding mission so that we put an end to these senseless killings or attacks,” he said.

He said in some pictures they were shown mutilated bodies.  The minister said such attacks should stop immediately so that locals enjoy the fruits of the liberation struggle.

“The permanent secretaries will meet JOC members in provinces, the miners and buyers to stamp out this menace.

“We can’t accept the destruction of our security, we can’t accept the destruction of our values of ubuntu, we can’t just watch as our people are killed in the name of gold.

“Some people want to enjoy gold beyond reasonable measure of enjoyment and they must be stopped,” he said.

Cde Chidhakwa said the extraction and sale of gold should be done within the confines of the law so that the people and their Government benefit.

Recently the police banned the sale and carrying of machetes in the mining town of Kwekwe where over 20 gold panners and dealers are believed to have been murdered in fights for control of gold fields.

Midlands police, led by officer commanding the province Senior Assistant Commissioner Abigail Moyo recently held an outreach programme in Mbizo, Kwekwe conscientising members of the public on the dangers of engaging in gold wars.

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