According to
reports confirmed by Masvingo Province Deputy Police Spokesperson Assistant
Inspector Masauso Patinyu, the incident stems from the discovery of gold
deposits at the mine on October 15 by a group of artisanal miners, estimated to
be around 300 in number.
These miners
had begun operations on the site when Rodrick Mombire (46), a local resident of
Mashava, arrived and claimed ownership of the mine, stating that it was
registered under his name.
Mombire
reportedly engaged the miners and proposed a profit-sharing agreement, allowing
operations to continue while leaving some of his people on-site to oversee
operations.
However,
tensions escalated on the night of October 28 around 2300hrs, when Mombire
returned to the mine accompanied by an excavator, two tippers, and three men
from Zvishavane, including Mache.
His arrival
with heavy machinery was allegedly misinterpreted by the artisanal miners as an
attempt to take over the site and remove them.
This
misunderstanding led to a confrontation. The situation quickly turned chaotic
as the gold panners began chasing after Mombire and his group.
In the scuffle,
one of the panners reportedly struck Monashe Mache with a machete, injuring him
on the back and right wrist.
Mache fell down
and then managed to flee.
A well-wisher
then found him injured and rushed him to White Hospital in Zvishavane, and he
was later transferred to Gweru Provincial Hospital due to the severity of his
injuries.
Unfortunately,
Mache succumbed to his injuries upon arrival on October 30 around 1405hrs.
Police
investigations into the matter are ongoing, and the suspect involved in the
machete attack remains unknown.
Authorities
have urged all miners and involved parties to resolve disputes through lawful
channels and avoid violent confrontations. Midweek Watch
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