By A Correspondent- Villagers in Thandawani, Ward 7 of Masendu in Plumtree, Matabeleland South, were left shaken after discovering a live hand grenade buried beneath the soil, a relic believed to date back to Zimbabwe’s liberation war era.
The potentially deadly device was unearthed last Thursday after heavy rains eroded the ground, exposing the rusted explosive in a local homestead. Alert community members wisely refrained from touching the grenade and immediately alerted authorities.
“We think it had been buried there for decades,” said one villager. Luckily, no one was injured. Soldiers came the same day and neutralised the grenade. We are relieved.”
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) responded swiftly, dispatching a bomb disposal unit that safely detonated the ordnance. Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson for Matabeleland South Province, Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, confirmed the incident.
“We are still conducting investigations into the matter,” he said. “The grenade was discovered on 12 May 2025 and was safely destroyed by the Zimbabwe National Army on 15 May 2025.”
A Lingering Threat
This is not the first time unexploded ordnance (UXO) has been discovered in Zimbabwe’s rural areas. Landmines, grenades, and other remnants of war continue to pose a threat to communities — particularly in provinces such as Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Manicaland, and Matabeleland South, where heavy fighting occurred during the 1970s liberation struggle.
Since independence in 1980, the Zimbabwean government, with the support of international partners, has engaged in various mine clearance and ordnance disposal efforts. However, due to the sheer scale of contamination and the ruggedness of affected terrain, progress has been slow and intermittent.
Efforts Toward Demining and UXO Clearance
In the early years following independence, Zimbabwe received support from countries such as the United Kingdom and Sweden in mapping and marking minefields. By the 1990s, international organisations including the HALO Trust and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) began formal mine clearance operations, focusing primarily on anti-personnel landmines laid along the country’s borders by Rhodesian forces.
Despite their success in clearing major minefields, smaller devices like hand grenades, mortars, and artillery shells — often buried or left behind during battles — remain hidden across the countryside, only to be discovered decades later by unsuspecting civilians.
In 2018, Zimbabwe’s government committed to the Ottawa Treaty deadline to become mine-free by 2025. This led to a renewed push in demining efforts, with enhanced collaboration between the Ministry of Defence, the National Mine Action Authority of Zimbabwe (NAMAAZ), and NGOs such as Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and APOPO.
These organisations have used advanced detection equipment, trained deminers, and community education campaigns to locate and safely remove UXO. According to the Zimbabwe Mine Action Centre (ZIMAC), over 50,000 landmines and explosives have been removed in the past decade alone.
Call for Vigilance and Public Education
Despite the progress, UXO remains a persistent danger, particularly in rural areas where children and farmers often stumble upon these forgotten weapons. Authorities have urged citizens to report any suspicious metal objects and avoid attempting to move or tamper with them.