A MAZOWE gold miner has accused police officers of grabbing his mine and parcelling it out to Chinese nationals.
Source: Police grab mine, parcel it to out illegal miners – NewsDay Zimbabwe July 30, 2016
In a letter to police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri dated June 28, 2016, Pius Madzimure, of Elliot 90 A in Mazowe district, said police officers from the special tactic unit of the support unit had illegally taken over his mine after he had enlisted their services to drive out illegal gold panners.
“Instead of co-operating with me, your officers from ZRP support unit, have ostensibly ganged up in cahoots with some illegal miners, who they allow to enter and extract and dispose of gold from my mining site,” read part of the letter.
The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development wrote a letter to the police, saying Madzimure was the lawful owner of the property, urging the police to drive out any illegal gold panners.
“If the accused illegal miners produce papers claiming the same area registered by Pius Madzimure, please refer them to this office for adjudication of the dispute,” read a letter written by director of provincial mining development for Mashonaland Central, an F Mugumbate.
In his letter, Madzimure threatened to go to court to force police out of his property.
Police were by yesterday yet to respond to the letter, although NewsDay understands that Chihuri has instituted investigations into the matter.
COMMENTS
This sounds encouraging. If they can get this mine theft going as a regular thing, maybe they will abandon the roadblocks.
Our police are very enterprising. Maybe our government should seize all mines and hand them over to our noble policemen!