Machetes will be banned in gold-rich areas and those
carrying them will be jailed under new
laws being crafted by the Government.
This follows a spate of violent crimes by machete-wielding
artisanal miners. Besides the ban and mandatory jail terms, the Government is
considering setting up special courts to ensure such cases are dealt with
quickly and effectively.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi
Ziyambi told The Herald last week that stakeholders should join the fight
against machete violence.
“As Government, we are extremely disturbed by the illegal
activities of artisanal miners who continuously terrorise people using
machetes,” he said.
“Our cultural values and ethos are at stake and it is every
stakeholder’s mandate to work towards bringing sanity into the country.
“I call for an intertwined relationship between the ZRP,
Judicial Service Commission, prosecuting authorities, mining authorities and
other stakeholders to thwart their criminal activities.”
Minister Ziyambi said the Government was “in the process”
of coming up with an instrument that will give mandatory jail sentences to
those that are found with the machetes in those districts designated as risky
by police.
“In the same vein, I am in discussion with the
Prosecutor-General and Judicial Service Commission with a view of having
special courts to deal with these cases.
“We want people to enjoy the peace and tranquillity that
has always prevailed in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Statistics from police show that in Kadoma, 224
machete-related crimes were recorded from January to November this year.
Chegutu District recorded an increase in machete-related
crimes from 108 cases last year to 125 cases this year. Mining areas and nearby
beer outlets top the list of the most affected areas, with assaults, robberies,
attempted murder and murder cases dominating the list.
Women in Mining official Mrs Audrey Hativagone said: “We
condemn violence by artisanal miners outright in the strongest possible terms
for we expect business to be carried out under peaceful conditions in terms of
the laws of the country.
“The possession and use of machetes in the mining industry
scare away investors and other players, including women. The Constitution of
this country, which is the supreme law, clearly forbids discrimination on
gender basis.”
She said women become more vulnerable in violent
circumstances, which will exclude them from participating if denied equal
opportunities to operate in the gold mine sector.
Police have since started raids on illegal mining sites in
all provinces and have recovered weapons and equipment used mainly for gold
panning.
ZMF secretary for Youth in Mining in Zimbabwe Ms Sophia
Takuva slammed lazy youths who use machetes to grab fellow miners’ ore.
“We are losing young hard-working citizens through
machete-afflicted deaths and this must come to an end. If stock theft has not
less than nine years, why not also protect human life and a sector which
contributes immensely to the growth of the country.
“We must fight together as a country to end these wars.
“We need to look at the distribution process, that is the
selling of machetes, and I think the Government must ban the selling and
importation of machetes into the country and also arrest the people who are
found in possession of the machetes,” said Ms Takuva.
Before the violence, machetes were simply a gardening tool,
useful for cutting back overgrown hedges and dealing with thick undergrowth.
Herald
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