By A Correspondent- Kwekwe town council housing director Edson Chiyangwa has been hurled before the court facing murder charges after he reportedly shot and killed a member of a machete-wielding gang (MaShurugwi) that invaded his mine in Totororo, Zhombe on Tuesday evening.

Kwekwe magistrate denied Chiyangwa bail and advised him to apply for bail at the High court before remanding him in custody till 6 August 2020.

It is the state’s case that:

On 21 July around 11PM, Chiyangwa was at his Forever Mine in Zhombe with Mr Cornelius Dube where they were overseeing their mining operations.

While they were conducting mining operations, a gang armed with machetes and axes among an assortment of weapons attacked the pair and the mine employees.

While Dube escaped and hid himself in a car, Chiyangwa, the court heard, tripped and fell and the gang continued advancing intending to hack him with machetes.

He then produced a 357 Taurus Pistol and fired a warning shot in the air. The gang however continued advancing leading to Chiyangwa firing another shot towards the gang, killing one of them instantly. The gang left him and charged towards the Toyota D4D Hilux where Dube had locked himself inside.

The gang hit the vehicle with machetes and forced open the car, dragged Dube outside the vehicle and attacked him all over the body with machetes leaving him for dead and in a pool of blood.

Sensing danger, Chiyangwa vanished from the scene and made a report to the police. The following day Chiyangwa was picked up by police detectives leading to his appearance in court.

MaShurugwi wreaked havoc in gold-rich areas in Zimbabwe earlier this year.

-statemedia