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Obey Sibanda, Features Reporter

A HOT, dry wind envelope a seemingly angry group of more than 200 informal miners, known as MaGokwes in the mining area of Esigodini seating cautiously at their boss’s place of residence probably pondering their next move. The name derived from their place of origin.

They are preparing to go underground at the same time reading for the volatile impending turf war. They test their torches, adjust their knee pads and pull balaclavas over their heads while sharpening machetes.

The gang has been interlocked in a three day vicious gold war that left eight alleged oNkayi gang members injured and four of them hospitalised after the machete wielding MaGokwes attacked them in the middle of the night over the control of a piece of land on the river bank allegedly belonging to the Bulawayo City Council.

The mining town has been plunged into mourning as most paths of the mining town were turned into battle fields when the two groups viciously clashed over mining rights purportedly granted by council officers and Zimbabwe republic police officers.

In a pattern that shows a worrying descent towards warlordsim, panner groups caused havoc, untold suffering and instilled fear to Esigodini residents. Residents had to endure over 48 hours of terror as rival gangs fought in Habane Extension suburb last week damaging cars, stoning houses and beating up people susceptible to be sympathizing with a rival group.

One of the groups is alleged to have links within the district police force and thus does its activities without fear of reprisals from law enforcers. Esigodini police has been heavily critisised for its involvement in gang wars that have plummeted the mining town into a mini warzone.

The battle over gold claims has left many injured and some dead in the past five years.

Esigodini’s gold baron who is also a ring leader of a terror group called MaFilabusi which was well known for unleashing terror to rival groups, Baron Dube said the blood bath fight was caused by the Informal alliances between corrupt police officers and MaGokwes’ leader Sifelani whose group members go around brandishing weapons and are not arrested.

“oNkayi who identified the rich river bank and were chased away by the police from operating found the MaGokwes mining and forcefully started mining without their approval. This did not go well with the MaGokwes who claimed to have paid the police officers and the council for mining rights.

“At that very night MaGokwes followed oNkayi one by one and attacked them while sleeping injuring most of its gang members. Police officers were called but their reaction was slow,” said Dube.

The gold baron claim oNkayi regrouped in the morning while the MaGokwes had left to the mine and attacked their boss who then called for backup and this generated into a vicious battle.

When The Sunday News visited the business centre, most shops and bars were closed, with a few vendors saying business owners were fed up with the wars which were disrupting their operations. Some children had not gone to school fearing for their safety.

One of the oNkayi gang members only identified as Skhobokhobo who survived the attack said due to the over presence of partisan police holding guns and watching every movement, they were forced to work at night. He alleged those who operate during the day would have entered into deals with the police.

“The guys you saw panning are working with the police. They pay the police to continue mining while the rest of us are chased away. We understand that for whatever gold they get, they share with the police officers,” said Sikhobokhobo.

The district police force is often criticized for heavy handed tactics and endemic corruption. The community blame the police for paying lip service as far as crime are concerned. They claim the officers are lackadaisical when it comes to arrest notorious gangs.

Residents admit that the police encourage them to report thugs, but when they do so they are given flimsy excuses like we don’t have fuel or the vehicle doesn’t have wheels.

“In fact, violence and systematic corruption are deeply intertwined. Today we saw MaGokwes carrying machetes at Habane shops claiming they were sent by police to hunt and arrest oNkayi.

“We called the police who were patrolling. We told them that there were people walking around unreservedly with machetes. They told us that they don’t have enough manpower despite resident offering their cars,” said Mancube a disgruntled vendor at Habane shops.

Another resident said police should not take sides when reports are made. Criminals must be treated as such regardless of their affiliation.

“Police’s partisan arrests are the reason why locals resort to taking law into their own hands. There is a known murderer who killed a person but he hasn’t been arrested despite the police seized with the matter and there is a rapist who was ordered to be released,” said a resident.

The Officer Commanding Gwanda District, Chief Superintendent Enoch Sibanda acknowledged that the patrolling vehicle was defunct and he will make sure that it was up and running in no time and highlighted that the police were not taking the violence lightly.

He however appealed to community leaders to assist with accommodation or to erect a structure that will be used as police base.

“We deploy police patrols everyday but they can’t be every corner, they are overwhelmed. We’ll beef up the security with neighbourhood police. If you have a grievance come forward and we we’ll attend to it.

“We plead with the courts that people engaging in these gang wars and wreaking havoc be given hefty sentences because innocent people are suffering,” said Sibanda.

Zanu-PF National Assembly candidate for Umzingwane Constituency, retired Brigadier General Cde Levi Mayihlome, challenged the police to engage the military if they are failing to deal with gold wars. “If the police fail, we will request that perhaps engage the army,” said Cde Mayihlome .

Last year an unidentified man was killed and his body was dumped on the railway line near Esigodini cemetery.

The discovery of the body came at a time when residents were complained that gangs of otsheketsha have turned Esigodini centre into a mini war zone by unleashing a reign of terror using dangerous weapons.

Few months’ later police officers fled and left behind a cuffed suspect at Habane Business Centre in Esigodini after they were attacked by an armed gang of suspected gold panners.

Residents said police officers had to seek refuge in some shops while running away from the illegal miners’ gang infamously known as ‘oNkayi’.

Villages and towns rich in minerals such as diamond and gold are often marred by corruption, authoritarian repression, and civil war. Rebel groups and mining companies exploit mineral resources, fueling civil and interstate conflict as players vie for control over riches.

Villages such as Esigodini have fallen victim to rebels who use revenue from gold to purchase arms and fuel conflicts.

Governments often establish police controls in mineral producing regions to protect their “national interests,” but local populations rarely see the profits and are subjected to environmental damage wrought by corporations.

The Police Act prohibits officers from pursuing business interests without first notifying the Commissioner General. This is not the first time police officers to score an own goal.

Last year 17 police officers from Inyathi and Nkayi were arrested and charged with abuse of office in connection with illegal gold mining activities in Bubi District.

The 17 officers were charged under the Police Act after being suspected of being involved in mining at the gold claims and failing to discharge their duties.

It was reported that some senior police officers tried to cover up the activities of the officers but the matter came to light following increased public complaints and violent clashes.