Harare, (New Ziana) -The High Court has sentenced a gang of 10 machete-wielding individuals to 30 years in prison for the brutal murder of artisanal miner, Kudakwashe Mapisa, at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga near Mutare, Manicaland pr0vince on Christmas Day in 2023.

According to he National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA), the gang, led by Nyasha Moyana, attacked Mapisa and his colleagues, robbing them of ore and valuables before fatally assaulting Mapisa with a machete and shoving his body into a mine shaft.

The gang had approached the mine around 3 AM armed with machetes, mattocks, and knives, and held Mapisa and his colleagues hostage.

They forced the miners to carry sacks of ore to the surface, taking control of the mine and its valuable resources.

The incident sheds light on the risks that artisanal miners in Zimbabwe face, emphasizing the need for local and national authorities to strengthen their response to the ongoing threat that machete-wielding gangs pose in mining areas.

The Zimbabwean government has been working to address the growing violence within the artisanal mining sector, with the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) emphasizing its commitment to bringing perpetrators of violent crimes to justice and the sentencing of Moyana and his gang serves as a stern warning to others involved in similar activities.

A report by Zimbabwe Peace Project shows that in 2019, 105 people were murdered in a period of 3 months in Kadoma, the Midlands province, in mining violence, while 221 were reported as assault cases by the Kadoma Hospital.

New Ziana