A Member of Parliament has called for authorities to deal decisively with violent informal gold miners known as MaShurugwi.
Temba Mliswa, an Independent MP who represents Norton, said that decisive action should be taken against the marauding criminals who are fomenting violence in mining areas.
Writing for the Chronicle, Toby Sithole has attempted to explain the origins of this group of violent thugs. He said:
One school of thought says these machete-wielding criminals originated from Shurugwi, about 350 kilometres south of Harare, thus earning themselves the moniker MaShurugwi.
They became infamous for engaging in fights for very small arguments in the mines, (claims, women or high school rivalries) they would use shovels and picks to fight or kill each other.
There is fear that if the Mashurugwi menace is not nicked in the bud as a matter of urgency, the international community might classify Zimbabwean gold as “blood gold”.
MaShurugwi is reportedly active in parts of Mazowe and Guruve in Mashonaland Central province where they terrorising settlers and farmers.