A 27-year-old machete-wielding criminal believed to belong to a notorious group called team Barca was shot dead by a security guard at a mine in Battlefields, Kadoma.
According to the ZRP national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the deceased was part of a group of illegal miners who forcibly entered the mine.
“A 27-year-old man was shot dead by a security guard at a mine in Battlefields, Kadoma. The deceased was part of about 60 illegal miners who raided a mine which was being manned by 3 guards. When they were challenged to leave, the deceased, armed with an axe and a knife menacingly charged towards one of the guards intending to disarm him> He was shot by one of the guards who realised that his colleague’s life was in danger. The rest of the illegal miners fled from the scene after the incident,” said Nyathi.
The police also promised to descend heavily on machete-wielding criminals.
“Violence of any form will not be tolerated and like-minded elements are warned that the wrath of the law will be severely applied,” he said.
According to Assistant Commissioner Nyathi, on Tuesday, 907 illegal miners were arrested on the first day of the major police crackdown, while 18 vehicles were impounded.
Most of the arrests took place at Jumbo Mine, as pressure to crush machete gangs intensifies.
The raids saw 740 being arrested at Jumbo Mine, 139 in Shamva and 28 at Mazowe Bridge.
Police also recovered equipment used by the illegal miners and this includes water pumps, hammer mills, generators, electric cables, solar panels, and explosive fuses.
They also seized 3kg of mbanje arresting drug dealers and those selling meat without licences.
