Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Minister, Kazembe Kazembe has reported that machete-wielding gangs have killed 35 people since January this year.
He made the remarks while presenting oral evidence before the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, Home Affairs and Security during which he also said that the gangs were also implicated in 225 robberies, 382 assault, and 15 rape cases throughout the country. He added:
Notable achievements to date; 4 062 0ffenders have been arrested, 1 832 offenders were arrested for possession of dangerous weapons. Since the commencement of Chikorokoza Ngachipere on 14 January 2020 a total of 3 137 arrests have been made in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Mashonaland East Province.
Kazembe also said that efforts were underway to amend legislations guiding the mining sector as a way of curbing illegal mining.
He indicated that it does not feel right for individuals to store gold for too long before selling it to the designated buyer, Fidelity Printers and for one to carry gold detectors everywhere but nothing can be done to avoid that at the moment as there is no legislation prohibiting both acts above hence the need to amend the legislations.