Correspondent:Police shot and injured two mobsters who allegedly led a gang of 47 men armed with machetes to raid a police base in an attempt to free an arrested colleague in Gokwe.

Khumbulani Mahlangu (25) was shot in the abdomen while Gift Chimboora (18) was shot in the legs on Wednesday.

The two suspect leaders of a Kadoma-based machete gang called Maziga allegedly arrived at Zenda Police Base in Gokwe North in two hired kombis loaded with 47 machete-wielding members intending to forcibly take away one of their members who had just been arrested.

Officials at Gokwe magistrate courts were yesterday organising a court circuit to sit for the case at Nembudziya.

Gokwe North where the incident occurred has no magistrates court and all incidents which occur in the area are normally referred to Gokwe South, more than 150km away. The 47 suspects are expected to appear before Gokwe magistrate, Mr Shortgame Musaiona facing charges of obstructing the cause of law.

Chief Supt Chishaka yesterday said the two were admitted at Gweru Provincial Hospital under police guard while their 47 accomplices were in police custody.

“Police have shot and injured two machete gang leaders and arrested other 47 members of the same machete racket which calls itself Maziga or MaBranco after they went to Zenda Police Base in two kombis where they charged at police officers who had just arrested one of their members,” said Chief Supt Chishaka.

He said the gang ignored warning shots and continued charging towards police while demanding the release of the suspect.

“The police released warning shots but they continued to charge at them. Two of the ring leaders were then shot in the abdomen and legs forcing the other members to retreat,” said Chief Supt Chishaka.

He said police managed to round up and arrest the other 47 suspects.

“Police also impounded the two kombis and recovered the machetes, knives, picks, shovels and knobkerries that the suspects were armed with,” he said.

Parliament has instituted a probe to unearth the origins of machete gangs, how they are operating, the impact of their actions and what can be done to halt their activities that have had a devastating effect on the lucrative mining sector, one of the major foreign currency earners.

The machete-wielding gangs’ criminal activities have wreaked havoc at gold mining sites across the country, causing several deaths and injuries.

Last month a gang surrounded police officers in Kadoma and macheted one of them to death.