Gold miners in Mashonaland East Province have accused the police of shielding illegal miners who are disrupting their operations.
A manager at Hun Sen Mine, a major Chinese-owned operation in the Makaha area of Mutoko, told Pindula News that illegal gold miners, commonly known as makorokoza, are increasingly encroaching on their claims.
These illegal miners not only operate without authorisation but also pose serious environmental hazards due to their unsustainable practices.
The manager, who requested anonymity, alleged that they have reached out to police in Murehwa, including Officer Commanding District Superintendent Moyo and Inspector Katigu, head of the Police Internal Security and Intelligence (PISI), to address the issue of illegal mining in the area. Said the official:
In early September, we contacted [Dispol] to report the presence of illegal miners and requested their arrest along with the confiscation of their equipment.
He agreed to conduct an operation and asked us to fund it, providing a budget of US$2,700 to cover fuel and the officers’ meals during the deployment.
We paid him the amount in cash through [the PISI] three weeks ago, and he assured us that the operation would take place within three days. However, nothing has materialised.
The company management has reached out to him twice, but he continues to postpone the operation, and to date, no action has been taken.
Now, we are noticing police officers meeting with the illegal miners instead.
The official further alleged that they have received information indicating that these police officers are warning the illegal miners about the upcoming operation, advising them to hide their equipment before the scheduled enforcement action. He queried:
Our concerns now centre on whether it is lawful for senior police officers to demand payment to fulfil their official duties.
Is it appropriate for them to inform criminals about an impending operation? Can we expect to achieve the desired results from the police under these circumstances?
Efforts to obtain a comment from the local police over the allegations of protecting illegal miners and asking for payment from miners by law enforcement are ongoing.
More: Pindula News