Defiant gold panners who have invaded former first lady Grace Mugabe’s Smithfield Farm in Mazowe, have claimed that they have the blessings of President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The panners have declared that they will only leave the location if Mnangagwa orders them to do so.
Panners identified as Wastemore Kanengoni and Chamunorwa Kanengoni told The Standard,
This is the indigenisation policy that former president Robert Mugabe introduced. We are indigenous people and should be allowed to mine.We are Zanu PF supporters and we are here because of President Mnangagwa. If he comes and tells us to leave, we will happily leave today. We are here to mine and nothing else. We will not touch anything, even that soya bean crop.
We can only leave if President Mnangagwa asks us to. In fact, what we can do now is to ask Amai Grace and Mnangagwa to give us equipment so that we can mine efficiently.
Some of the gold miners have already filed a $100 000 lawsuit against Grace for defaming them by calling them illegal gold panners.
More: The Standard