Harare,(New Ziana) –A 20 year-old man from Kwekwe, the Midlands province, Casten Zeve, has been jailed for an effective two years imprisonment for illegally prospecting for gold behind some government offices in the town.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court convicted Zeve for prospecting for the precious mineral without a license.

Following a tip off, detectives raided an illegal mining site behind the Ministry of Public Works yard in Newtown, Kwekwe on March 10 this year and found Zeve and four other unidentified accomplices digging and loading gold ore into sacks using shovels.

On spotting the detectives, Zeve and his accomplices fled into a nearby thicket, evading arrest. However, the detectives managed to apprehend Zeve and recovered two sacks of gold ore, which were later tested and confirmed to contain gold.

The police have reiterated their commitment to curbing illegal mining operations, which pose environmental and economic challenges.

New Ziana