By Precious Musarurwa – LEAD Party Presidential Spokesperson.|Machete wars in gold mining areas;
The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa said: “We are against that totally and those found harming others with machetes will be arrested. We want to increase the level of sentencing so that it is deterrent.”
LEAD applauds the President for further revealing that Zimbabwe has lost gold worth US$60 million through a syndicate of businessmen that clandestinely export the precious mineral to Dubai. The President made these revelations at the December 2019, commemoration of the Anti-Corruption Day Symposium under the theme: Taking Stock of the Anti-Corruption Agendas in Zimbabwe.
With taking stock in mind and following the proceedings of this day we learn of the hazards of corruption in the Zimbabwe having to affect the attainment of a $12 billion mining sector by 2023 because there would not have been transparency and accountability in the mining sector. That being a test of time for President Mnangagwa, key Ministries, stakeholders, survivors and people at large to together raise the Zimbabwe flag against use of machetes, corruption and loss of lives in the mines sector and beyond.
Machetes have become accesible tools not only used to rob in mines. Perpetrators of violence like thieves and murderers in rural and urban communities have adopted machetes as weapons to destroy lives and rob. Business people and poor fellows are becoming victims of machete wielding gangsters now spreading throughout the country.
We urge the respective public service offices to lead, ensuring transparency and advanced systems are placed to monitor actual production of minerals to avoid and or reduce the high level of side marketing happening at Fidelity and Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). The country requires an active ready to serve police force that MUST be equipped to counter the kind of violence this nation faces. Corruption must be curbed within the police force and for this to become a reality, Zimbabwe needs a willing government.
At the Anti-Corruption Symposium the President highlighted that as a government they want to partner with ZMDC so that all the gold goes through Fidelity. We await the period of transparent actioning sooner.
Other miners have said they experienced problems with Zanu PF bigwigs that were unlawfully grabbing their mining claims. These complaints are a clear indication of violence tendencies by the ruling party. Recently a police officer was murdered by a machete gang known as Barca in Kadoma, barely 3 months after Mashonaland West held a symposium that was attended by the Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi. People lamented their ordeals with machetes and mashurugwis and the government is aware of these challenges in Kadoma, Mazoe Jumbo and other areas. One wonders why ZANU PF a political party would be involved in such unethical behaviour that tarnishes its brand, if the claims are true.
We seek the office of the President and his government to transform the social economic environment for a justiciable political tolerance and positioning. A worthwhile cause that will resuscitate our economy. We no longer want to lose lives for life is Precious.
_*Lets Free Zimbabwe Together*_