Suspected fortune-seeking gold panners (Makorokoza) reportedly dug up a grave in Esikhoveni area in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province and they left the bones of the dead man scattered all over after they were reportedly told he was buried with a treasure which includes gold, Sunday News reports.
The incident that took place in the dead of the night was discovered by a passerby who reported the incident. The incident was confirmed by ZRP Matabeleland South spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele who said:
It is true that there is a case of that nature where suspected gold panners dug a grave believed to be a white man’s in search of gold. The dug-up grave was discovered by a local villager and a report was made to the police. We are treating the case as tampering with a grave but no arrests have been made so far. Investigations are still in progress
The District Development Coordinator, Mr Peter Mahlatini said the grave had been there for close to 7 decades and there had been a myth in the community that the white man who was buried there was buried with treasure:
The grave is not in a homestead. It is close to a functional mine and according to the village head – a Mr Mabhena it belonged to a white man who died around 1949. The gold panners could have believed the long-held community myth that the white man was buried with his treasure including gold or could have used their detectors and whatever they (detectors) told them, they could have followed that. After consultations with the relevant stakeholders we re-buried the remains on Wednesday.
No arrests have been made so far and the bones were reburied by the community.
More: Sunday News