- Vendors-police war on the horizon
- Police-Zanu PF clash imminent
- Illegal miners left stranded
- Police raiding Mazowe at night
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) last night (Tuesday) sealed off Jumbo gold mine in Mazowe in order to rein in marauding machete-wielding gangs.
Some vendors had put up makeshift shelters in and around the mine site while others commute daily, boarding cheap open trucks.
There are reports that vendors in the area are infinitely busy, rotating to sell their wares day and night, only returning home to restock.
Mashonaland Central Police spokesperson Inspector Ndende confirmed the closure of Jumbo Mine.
“There are no statistics yet, but police did not want things to go out of hand. Even the vendors knew what they were doing was illegal,” Ndende said.
Vendors-police war on the horizon
The closure of the mine is likely to result in running battles between the vendors and law enforcement agents.
“We are going to fight for our territory.Police will have to walk over dead bodies in order to get us out of this place,” said a vendor who did not want his name mentioned for fear of victimisation.
When the Zim Morning Post news crew arrived at the mine Tuesday morning vendors were arriving in numbers from Harare,Bindura, Glendale and surrounding farms.
“We have been operating here since the makorokozas began mining in 2019 only to be told to go away. We are ready for war with the authorities,” another vendor said.
Police-Zanu PF local leadership clash imminent
Besides waging a war with vendors, police is likely to engage in another vicious war with the local Zanu PF leadership in the province who had turned Jumbo mine into a cash cow.
As reported by this publication, the leaders had all but abandoned their party duties and camped at Jumbo mine with some sponsoring mining activities in the area.
There are allegations that some of the party leadership who have been living lavishly from proceeds of Jumbo Mine are likely to fight back the move by police to seal off their cash-cow.
Meanwhile, the ZRP has been accused of dabbling in corruption, Zim Morning Post has learnt.
The Support Unit, a division of ZRP, is said to be demanding ZWL100 ‘entrance fee’ from illegal artisanal miners.
“Support Unit officers are setting up roadblocks just before Jumbo Mine, demanding ZWL100 per person entering into the mine.
“They will also be asked to pay another ZWL100 when they are leaving,” said a source.
Efforts to get a comment from Zanu PF leadership in Mashonaland Central was not successful before going to Press.
