Ten Silobela gold panners sustain injures during panic gold rush
A gold rush in Wozoli area,
Silobela has left scores of gold panners injured as the community fight against
a local businessman, Vurayai Marima, who is claiming ownership of the gold
claim.
More than 10 villagers in Wozoli
area showed the news crew scars on their bodies from battles with the police
called to secure the claim. Villages said police dogs were set on them as they
were panning for gold at a site they said was discovered by a local, Nkululeko
Gasela.
The community is alleging that
"the well connected" Marima wants them off the gold claim which they
feel should benefit them.
Interviewed were some of the gold
panners and villagers who said that they had been brutalised after attempting
to pan for gold. The gold claim has been fenced off with only Marima's
employees allowed to mine while hundreds of gold panners watch from a distance.
Marima, popularly known as Bravo
in the area, confirmed that the illegal gold panners had been attacked by
police dogs when they tried to illegally pan for gold at his claim. He said he
asked for extra security from the police after noting that his security details
could be overpowered by the gold panners.
"Where there's a gold rush
there are always forces that want to have access to the gold ore. Indeed
there's a gold rush in the area but I'm the rightful owner of the claim,"
he said.
Marima said he will continue
mining and protecting his claim from the villagers.
Village head Msongelwa Makaba,
however, differed with Marima. He said locals had discovered the claim and
instead of benefiting, Marima in cahoots with some police officers, had
barricaded the area.
"Locals discovered the gold
claim and many youths then descended on it but Marima and the police quickly
barricaded it. Police vehicles could be seen carrying gold ore and we don't
know to where," he said.
Vice chairperson of the Wozoli
Batanai District Association Stuck Mazibisa said it was unfortunate that locals
were not benefiting from their God given natural resource.
He said women, children and even
livestock were being terrorised by Marima and his security guards. "We're
suffering here, our children are being beaten Marima's security guards. They're
always telling us that they're above the law and that the police can't touch
him," he said.
Yesterday, the villagers held a
demonstration near the mine. They said they could not go closer to the mine for
fear of having police dogs set on them. Nkululeko Gasela said he discovered the
gold claim accidentally.
"I was walking when I was
tripped by a rock and fell to the ground. I rose up and looked at it and
decided to crush it. To my utter amazement, it had some gold."
He said he later told his cousin
Edmore Nkomo and the two spent the whole night digging and putting the gold ore
in bags. "When day came, scores of other gold panners joined us. If I was
educated I could've gone to look for a prospector's licence which Bravo claims
to have," said Gasela.
He said he was pained by the fact
that Bravo was now kicking him out with the rest of other panners when it was
him who discovered the claim.
Midlands provincial police
spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko said he was not aware of the gold rush in
Silobela.
He said police had only been
called to mediate in a gold claim wrangle between Alice Watadza and Senzeni
Mukungurutse which is in a complete different area.
"What I know is that there's
a claim dispute at Lancaster farm on the outskirts of Gweru and police are
there to make sure that there is peace," he said.
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