The Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested over 907 illegal miners on Tuesday in Mashonaland Central Province during an Operation code-named “Chikorokoza Ngachipere, no to machete-wielding gangs”.
The Operation is aimed at ending illegal mining in all gold-rich areas.
Some of the illegal gold miners move around with machetes and rob people of their valuables. The machete gangs infamously or “MaShurugwi”, have been implicated in the murder of scores of people across the country.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the Operation is in full swing. He said:
The operation covered Jumbo Mine, Shamva and Mazowe Bridge. We managed to recover various property used by these miners which includes water pumps, hammer mills, generators, electric cables, solar panels and explosive fuses.
We managed to recover also three kilograms of mbanje. 18 motor vehicles were also impounded at Jumbo mine during the blitz.