POLICE are investigating senior Zanu PF officials linked to
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa over alleged illegal gold panning, cases of
violence and murders in and around Kwekwe’s volatile gold mining fields.
The cases of violence and killings occurred over Globe and
Phoenix Mine, also known as Falcon Gold, allegedly controlled by Gokwe-Kana
legislator Owen Ncube — popularly known as Mudha. Ncube reportedly illegally
took over mining rights with the assistance of Zanu PF politburo member July
Moyo and Zanu PF Midlands spokesman Cornelius Mupereri, key Mnangagwa allies.
The brutality and murder cases are being committed
allegedly by Zanu PF youths loyal to Ncube, who like Moyo and Mupereri, is
Mnangagwa’s political ally. Mnangagwa, widely seen as the political godfather
of the Midlands province, is leading a Zanu PF faction manoeuvring to help him
succeed President Robert Mugabe. The faction is currently under siege from a
rival camp, G40, led by First Lady Grace Mugabe.
The escalation of crime in the gold rich area has also
prompted cabinet to set up a taskforce to look into the chilling cases of
violence and murder in Mnangagwa’s political sphere of influence.
According to top police sources who spoke to the Zimbabwe
Independent off the record, there are currently four active cases of murder
under investigation by the police, which cover the period between 2016 and
2017.
The first case is the murder of Washington Dick, allegedly
by Likwa Ngwenya in November last year. The matter is in the courts.
Police investigations show that before turning on each
other, Ngwenya and Dick were appointed leaders of an unregistered security
organisation — which later became a terror gang — run by Ncube to ensure
illegal panners do not invade Globe and Phoenix.
The state’s case is that on November 10 last year, Ngwenya,
in the company of other unnamed accused persons, attacked Dick with machetes
several times all over the body until he died near Sable Flats in Kwekwe.
After committing the crime, Ngwenya and his alleged
accomplices fled the scene.
“The accused’s (Ngwenya) cellphone was recovered at the
scene, his vehicle was seen at the scene and the police also recovered a blood
stained work suit in his motor vehicle,” said the state before a Kwekwe
magistrate earlier this year.
Before his death, Dick was facing an attempted murder
charge (ZRP Kwekwe CR101/09/16 and Kwekwe CID 01/10/16) for allegedly attacking
Ngwenya using a machete following a dispute over a gold claim.
Ncube is said to have been carrying out gold mining
operations in Kwekwe since 2002 when operations ground to a halt, as the owners
felt mining operations were no longer viable.
Police sources also said when Globe and Phoenix Mine closed
operations, illegal gold panners and political leaders in Kwekwe scrambled to
acquire tribute rights to the mine.
The police sources said Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines
Private Limited and Homesake Mining and Technical Services approached the
Ministry of Mines in 2009 seeking to clarify the validity of the agreement of
the tributes.
However, the ministry said the agreement expired in
February 2005, adding that any operations under the tribute were illegal.
Police sources added political interference led to a gold
rush at the mine before Ncube took control.
He allegedly took advantage of unemployed Zanu PF youths
and gave them responsibilities of providing security at the mine by protecting
it from other illegal panners and supervising those who would have been given
permission to mine on a 50-50% basis.
The sources said Ncube claims to own all mining tributes at
the mine. He is alleged to have also claimed ownership of Moonbeam Hammer Mill,
located two kilometres from Globe and Phoenix South pit mine.
However, the seizing of mining operations by Ncube did not
go down well with some members of the Kwekwe community, the sources said. This
saw the youths employed by the security firm engaging in running battles with
members of community who also wanted to mine gold there. This resulted in a
dramatic rise in cases of violence, assault and murder.
The sources said late last year, the security outfit’s
leadership split into two camps over gold interests; one led by Ngwenya and the
other by the late Dick. The sources said the two groups — which later morphed
into terror gangs — would engage in vicious fights using machetes and knives,
commonly known as “colombia clubs”.
However, both camps remained loyal to Ncube, widely viewed
as the “gold lord”, “gold baron” or “kingpin”, in the area.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Ncube said he did not know
Dick and Ngwenya. He also said he was not involved in gold mining.
“I have been sick for seven months since last year August
and I was not in the country. I was admitted at Donald Gordon hospital in South
Africa. I only came back in the country early this year. I am actually supposed
to go back for a check-up. The incidents you are talking about, the violence in
October until January occurred while I was outside the country, so how do they
involve me?” Ncube said.
“After all, I am not involved in mining. I don’t have any
rights at Globe and Phoenix Gold mine, neither was I interested in it. I am
into farming. I am a farmer. So there is totally nothing like that. It is all
lies. You are actually the fifth person to call me since last year over this
issue and I have always said its lies. You are welcome to visit this side and
see for yourself what is happening on the ground.”
Efforts to get a comment from Moyo and Mupeperi were
fruitless as their mobile numbers went unanswered. They did not respond to text
messages sent to them.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba
was not answering her mobile phone. When contacted via text messages, she said
she was in a meeting.
Police sources said between September 18 2016 and November
10 2016, a number of cases were reported.
The violent clashes even drove Zanu PF Kwekwe Central MP
Masango Matambanadzo into organising a “peace campaign” meeting last year at
Globe Phoenix mine where he brought together about 120 people.
Matambanadzo tried to unite Ngwenya and Dick before his
death, as well as their camps and also discouraged violence and use of machetes
to resolve disputes.
On September 26 last year, Dick and an accomplice allegedly
assaulted Ngwenya over a mining dispute at Globe Phoenix mine.
Dick and partner allegedly disarmed Ngwenya and grabbed his
star pistol, serial number 1418040, and struck him with a machete and a log all
over his body.
After that, Dick and his accomplice were arrested, but were
remanded out of custody at Kwekwe Magistrates court on November 21 last year
for judgement. However, before judgment was passed Dick was allegedly murdered
(CR38/11/16 at Kwekwe Central and DR14/11/16 at Kwekwe CID) by Ngwenya and two
accomplices. Ngwenya allegedly brutally assaulted and murdered Dick using
machetes and “colombian daggers”.
Another murder case was also reported (CR86/10/16 at Kwekwe
Central police station and CID Kwekwe 01/11/16) involving Noel Jacha, who is said
to have been working with the late Dick.
Police sources said Jacha was stabbed on October 22 last
year while having drinks with Clive Maronje at Much Better Bar in Kwekwe.
It is alleged Chamunorwa Marete, who belonged to Ngwenya’s
camp, allegedly entered the bar with a machete and without being provoked,
stabbed Jacha once on the right side of the chest, just above the right side of
the chest and at the back. Jacha died on the spot.
Marete, who fled the crime scene, was arrested by police in
Masvingo on January 10 this year and transferred to Kwekwe for trial. The
matter is before the courts.
Another case occurred in the wee hours of January 14 when
Elvis Moyo was murdered along Nhamo Street in Rutendo. His body was discovered
by police officers who were on patrol.
Police sources said investigations revealed Moyo was
murdered allegedly by Ngwenya’s terror group members, Goodhope Tawanda Mahachi
and Courage Sibanda, who ran away from the police at the crime scene. The
murder case is under CR34/01/17 at Kwekwe Central police station, while
recorded under DR28/01/17 at Kwekwe CID.
After the upsurge of murder cases involving machetes,
Officer Commanding Kwekwe District invoked section 14 of the Public Order and
Security Act 11:17, which bans the possession of certain weapons.
In February this year, Mines Minister Walter Chidakwa said
cabinet had set up a committee to look into violence at mining communities.
The cases, sources said, have political implications for
Mnangagwa and his allies. Zimbabwe independent
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