Machetes will be banned in gold mining areas, with those
possessing them set to be jailed under a new law being crafted by the
Government.
The move by the Government to ban the possession of
machetes, follows a spate of violent crimes allegedly committed by
machete-wielding artisanal miners.
Besides the ban and mandatory jail terms, the Government is
considering setting up special courts to ensure such cases were dealt with
quickly and effectively.
Statistics from the 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 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.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi
Ziyambi told The Herald 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.
“l call for an intertwined relationship between the ZRP,
Judicial Service Commission (JSC), prosecuting authorities, mining authorities
and other stakeholders to thwart their criminal activities.”
Minister Ziyambi said Government was in the process of
coming up with an instrument that will give mandatory jail sentences to those
found with the machetes in districts designated as risky by police.
“In the same vein, l 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.
Women in Mining official Mrs Audrey Hativagone said: “We
condemn violence by artisanal miners 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
scares 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 mining 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
spoke against “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 stocktheft 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 imports of machetes in 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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