An activist has accused the Mbizo Police of ignoring his report that the famous Mashurugwi (informal name for illegal miners thugs) robbed him and are letting the 3 men he positively identified to roam around Kwekwe freely.
The matter came to light after the activist, Takesure Choga was robbed of his US $600 by people he identified to Mbizo police as Mugaviri, Chirape and Jokonya.
Narrating his story to The Standard, Choga said:
I was trailed by some people driving a Honda Fit vehicle when I was coming from my shop.
When he arrived at the gate of his Mbizo home, he found stones barricading the driveway. He disembarked and tried to remove the stones and that was when the gang of three pounced on him.
They bundled me into their car and drove towards Sebakwe River. They stripped me naked and took away US$600 and $236 bond notes before they dumped me in the bush.
I reported the matter at Mbizo police station but nothing happened to my tormentors even though I identified them at the police station
His story is similar to other stories being told in most of these mineral-rich areas in Zimbabwe. At some point, Mazoe villagers slept in the mountains in fear of the MaShurugwi gold panners who would come rob them at night.