100 Gold Panners Attack 9 West Nicholson Mine Guards &New Owners Killing 1Guard

A COWDRAY Park man who was employed as a security guard at a mine in West Nicholson died after about 100 illegal gold panners attacked the new owners of Geelong Mine. The gold panners who used to operate at the disused mine invaded the claim resulting in a confrontation with representatives of the mine’s new owners, Mart Server Marketing.

Five people have since been arrested in connection with the murder which occurred last Tuesday. Matabeleland South police spokesperson Assistant Inspector, Nkosilathi Sibanda, identified the late security guard as Tariro Magovanyika.

“We confirm that we’re investigating a case of murder which occurred at Geelong Mine in West Nicholson. We’ve since picked five suspects who are assisting the police with investigations. The body of the deceased is at Gwanda District Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem,” said Asst Insp Sibanda.

“We appeal to people to shun violence as it leads to unnecessary loss of life. They should desist from taking the law into their own hands.” Witnesses said the illegal gold panners armed themselves with stones, shovels, picks and axes and confronted nine guards who were manning the disused mine.

On arrival they allegedly demanded to see documentation proving that Mart Server had legally acquired the disused mine.

A misunderstanding arose between the guards and the marauding amakorokoza, leading to the fatal attack.

“They attacked the guards by stoning them as well as hitting them with shovels.

“Three of the guards: the now deceased, Tariro Magovanyika of Cowdray Park in Bulawayo and two others, Mthokozo Ncube and Ronald Ntini sustained serious injuries but managed to escape to the Bulawayo- Beitbridge highway.

“However, Magovanyika’s condition continued to deteriorate, leading to his death on the roadside,” said the source.

Ncube and Ntini then reported the matter to the police.

“The panners also destroyed property at the mine which included window panes, furniture and other assortments and also disarmed the chairperson of the mine of documents and escaped with them.

“They also took along with them a firearm which was later found dumped in the bush,” he said.

The source said the reason why the panners attacked the new owners was because they suspected that they were being dispossessed of their source of livelihood by people who had no legal documents to mine. Last year three gold panners were crushed to death at the mine while the fourth one was seriously injured during an ill-fated search for gold in a 400 metre deep shaft. – Source-chronicle