<p>A man believed to be part of an infamous <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/MaShurugwi">MaShurugw</a>i gang known as Team Barca was gunned down by a security guard at Battlefields in <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Kadoma">Kadoma</a> after he tried to disarm one of the mine’s security guards, Mining Zimbabwe reports.</p>
<p>The incident was confirmed by the police in a statement that said:</p>
<blockquote><p>A 27-year-old man was shot dead by a security guard at a mine in Battlefields, Kadoma. The deceased was part of about 60 illegal miners who raided a mine which was being manned by 3 guards.</p>
<p>When they were challenged to leave, the deceased, armed with an axe and a knife menacingly charged towards one of the guards intending to disarm him, he was shot by one of the guards who realised that his colleague’s life was in danger.</p>
<p>The rest of the illegal miners fled from the scene after the incident</p></blockquote>
<p>Machete-wielding gangs have terrorised both fellow artisanal miners and residents in gold-rich areas across the country.</p>
<p>More: <strong><a href="https://miningzimbabwe.com/machete-gang-member-gunned-down/">Mining Zimbabwe</a></strong></p>


Pindula News

Good Hope Mine Security Guard Guns Down A Notorious MaShurugwi

<p>Machete-Wielding Gangs popularly known as <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/MaShurugwi">MaShurugwi</a> hacked a total of 105 people to death since August 2019, Health Times reports.</p>
<p>This was revealed in a statement by <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Heal_Zimbabwe_Trust">Heal Zimbabwe Trust</a> which expressed concern over the increasing number of deaths:</p>
<blockquote><p>Reports on machete violence shows that at least 105 peopl<span class="text_exposed_show">e have been hacked to death in machete gang violence between August and October 2019 yet the violence continues escalating.</span></p>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<p>The ongoing killings come against a backdrop where there has not been adequate response by law enforcement agents.</p>
<p>Heal Zimbabwe expresses concern that although the police have only issued warnings against machete killings and conduct investigations, machete gang killings and embarrassments remain rampant across the country.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>MaShurugwi have headlined for the wrong reasons these past three weeks but <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/12/30/mashurugwi-clubs-a-cop-to-death-in-a-suspected-revenge-mission/">mostly for killing a police officer in Battlefields</a> and <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2020/01/03/mashurugwi-kill-gold-buyer-in-mvuma/">a gold buyer in Mvuma</a>.</p>
<p>More: <strong><a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2020/01/08/machete-gangs-killed-105-people-since-august-2019/">Health Times</a></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>


MaShurugwi Killed 105 People Since August 2019

<p>Police have arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with the murder of a policeman, Constable Wonder Hokoyo, who was hacked to death by a machete gang at Good Hope Mine in Battlefields recently.</p>
<p>The minor is among nine suspects who have been arrested in connection with the police officer’s murder.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, legal expert, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Lovemore_Madhuku" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lovemore Madhuku</a>, said that a minor above the age of seven could be arrested for an offence and be tried, not in a public court, but in-camera. He said:</p>
<blockquote><p>At the age of 14, minors are capable of committing an offence. Even from the age of eight, minors are capable of committing a crime and may be tried in court, but it will also depend on the manner they will be tried.</p></blockquote>
<p>National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Paul_Nyathi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paul Nyathi</a> confirmed the names of those arrested in connection with the murder. These are; Tonderai Musasa (18), Richwell Tshuma (26), Bornlight Mukute (20), Paul Demo (27), Taurai Munetsi (31) and the minor aged 14.</p>
<p>Earlier, police had arrested Munyaradzi Chari (43), Lyton Panashe Tshuma (18) and Obvious Mawire (21), bringing the total number to nine.</p>
<h4><strong>More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/cop-machete-murder-case-sucks-in-boy-14/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Herald</a></strong></h4>


Boy (14) Arrested In Connection With Cop's Murder By 'MaShurugwi' Machete Gang

<p>The ZRP Boss,<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Godwin_Matanga"> Godwin Matanga</a>, took the time to update the nation about the arrest of 2 suspects who are part of the <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/12/30/mashurugwi-clubs-a-cop-to-death-in-a-suspected-revenge-mission/">gang that killed Constable Hokoyo in Battlefields on Saturday</a>, The Chronicle reports.</p>
<p>The Police Chief also warned members of the public against attacking police officers on duty and told MaShurugwi that playtime was over as they would not tolerate their wayward behaviour.</p>
<blockquote><p>Two suspects have since been arrested by the police and the police is pursuing other suspects who are currently on the run. My office would like to therefore discourage members of the public from attacking police officers performing their duties.</p>
<p>May I take this opportunity to reiterate that the Zimbabwe Republic Police will not tolerate acts of violence by artisanal miners in any part of the country anyone who therefore decides to disregard the laws of the land and cause anarchy will be dealt with severely in terms of the country’s laws</p></blockquote>
<p>More: <strong><a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/just-in-police-chief-matanga-warns-terror-gangs/">The Chronicle</a></strong></p>


We Have Arrested 2 Suspects In Connection With Constable Hokoyo's Death - ZRP Boss Matanga

<p>The ZRP Officer who was clubbed to death by a group of <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/MaShurugwi">MaShurugwi</a> over the weekend will be buried at his rural home in Triangle today, The Herald reports.</p>
<p>The family spokesperson Benjamin Mutubuki  spoke to the publication and said:</p>
<blockquote><p>It(his body) will be carried to Masvingo tonight (last night). We were all waiting for the body and are now leaving for Triangle where we expect his body to be laid to rest tomorrow (today).</p></blockquote>
<p>Wonder and his colleagues were <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/12/30/mashurugwi-clubs-a-cop-to-death-in-a-suspected-revenge-mission/">attacked by machete-wielding gangs in Kwekwe when they were trying to save workers at Good Hope Mine in Battlefields</a>.</p>
<p>More: <strong><a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/slain-cop-burial-today/">The Herald</a></strong>.</p>
<p> </p>


Constable Wonder Hokoyo To Be Buried Today

<p>A report by the government-controlled broadcaster, ZBC, says that the government reacted with reasonable speed to the mining disaster when it occurred.</p>
<p>Said the report:</p>
<blockquote><p>The government says it acted with reasonable speed in responding to the disaster at Silver Moon and Cricket mines in Battlefields where 24 people were confirmed dead while 8 others were rescued following flooding of the two mines last Tuesday.</p>
<p>The Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Cde Polite Kambamura says the dewatering of the mines took long as rescue teams were using light pumps.</p>
<p>The Deputy Minister said heavy duty pumps could not be used as the size of shafts entry points are too huge.</p>
<p>Cde Kambamura’s clarification comes after criticism over government’s alleged slow pace to rescue trapped miners and retrieve bodies of victims from the two adjacent mines.</p></blockquote>
<p>The government has been criticised for paying a deaf ear to the plight of the trapped miners.</p>
<p>The President Emmerson Mnangagwa was also criticised yesterday for posting a message on social media paying his condolences to the victims of a terror attack in India yet he had not sent out any message on the trapped miners in his own country.</p>
<p><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-78574" decoding="async" height="1024" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" src="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WhatsApp-Image-2019-02-16-at-11.13.18-576x1024.jpeg" srcset="https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WhatsApp-Image-2019-02-16-at-11.13.18-576x1024.jpeg 576w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WhatsApp-Image-2019-02-16-at-11.13.18-169x300.jpeg 169w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WhatsApp-Image-2019-02-16-at-11.13.18-600x1068.jpeg 600w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WhatsApp-Image-2019-02-16-at-11.13.18.jpeg 607w" width="576"/></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mnangagwa was also criticised for attending a Zanu-PF ‘Thank You’ rally in Mwenezi on Saturday while rescue efforts where still going on for a mining disaster whose death toll has been estimated to be between 50  and 70 people.</p>
<h2>Related:</h2>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/14/pictures-fellow-miners-lead-rescue-effort-for-38-buried-in-flooded-mines/" rel="bookmark">PICTURES: Fellow Miners Lead Rescue Effort For 38 Buried In Flooded Mines</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/14/government-neglecting-38-trapped-miners-needing-rescue/" rel="bookmark">Government Neglecting 38 Trapped Miners Needing Emergency Rescue</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/15/chamisa-comforts-the-families-of-trapped-battlefields-miners/" rel="bookmark">Chamisa Comforts The Families Of Trapped Battlefields Miners</a></h3>
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<li class="entry-title">
<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/16/mnangagwa-deletes-tweet-after-followers-criticise-him/">UPDATED: Mnangagwa Criticised For Mourning Indian Terror Attack Victims, Neglecting Trapped Miners</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/16/mnangagwa-mourns-terrorist-attack-victims-in-kashmir-india/">Mnangagwa Mourns Terrorist Attack Victims In Kashmir, India</a></h3>
</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>


'We Acted With Reasonable Speed', Government Defends Self On Mining Disaster

<p><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-78689" decoding="async" height="578" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Battlefields-miners-pulled-out-8.jpg" srcset="https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Battlefields-miners-pulled-out-8.jpg 1024w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Battlefields-miners-pulled-out-8-300x169.jpg 300w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Battlefields-miners-pulled-out-8-768x434.jpg 768w, https://news.pindula.co.zw/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Battlefields-miners-pulled-out-8-600x339.jpg 600w" width="1024"/></p>
<p>Survivors of the mining disaster that has claimed between 50 and 70 lives shared the stories of how they survived trapped underground in the flooded area.</p>
<p>One of the survivors, Simon Mushonga, said:</p>
<blockquote><p>“The tunnel we had used to get into the mine is the one that is blocked by rubble and water, but the area we were in had no water. We could hear the pumps humming and this gave us hope.</p>
<p>We felt that people had not forgotten about us and we also kept pushing trying to find a way out, it was a torrid time for us.”</p></blockquote>
<p>Another survivor, Thinkmore Madimutse said:</p>
<blockquote><p>“It’s tough underground, guys.<br/>
It was not the water, it’s just an issue of carbon, it was not the drowning, it’s just the carbon.</p>
<p>I could hear from the other side of the shaft voices and sounds from people hitting against the wall. I don’t know if they are still alive.”</p></blockquote>
<h2>Related:</h2>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/17/pictures-trapped-miners-pulled-out/" rel="bookmark">PICTURES: Trapped Miners Pulled Out</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/16/watch-crowd-cheers-as-8-miners-are-rescued/">WATCH: Crowd Cheers As 8 Miners Are Rescued</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/16/mnangagwa-deletes-tweet-after-followers-criticise-him/" rel="bookmark">UPDATED: Mnangagwa Criticised For Mourning Indian Terror Attack Victims, Neglecting Trapped Miners</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/17/zctu-consoles-families-of-battlefields-mine-disaster/" rel="bookmark">ZCTU Consoles Families Of Battlefields Mine Disaster</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/16/update-24-bodies-retrieved-from-battlefields-mine-shafts/" rel="bookmark">UPDATE: 24 Bodies Retrieved From Battlefields Mine Shafts</a></h3>
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<p> </p>


"We could hear the pumps humming and this gave us hope"

<p>An update today confirms that 8 miners have so far been rescued in the mining shafts in Battlefields, where more are trapped. Between 60 and 70 are feared dead.</p>
<p>The 8 survivors are said to have escaped to higher ground when the incident happened on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>Said deputy chief mining engineer of the government, Tapererwa Paswavaviri:</p>
<blockquote><p>“We are yet to assess and find out if there are any more people down there who are still alive, but indications are that some of the guys succumbed to gassing, that was the major cause of fatalities.”</p></blockquote>
<p>The small scale miners were trapped at Cricket Mine, (which is owned by RioZim Ltd) and another privately owned mine shaft.</p>


UPDATE: 8 Miners Rescued From Collapsed Zimbabwe Shafts

<div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="true" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/WeArePindula/videos/318306488810903/"></div>
<p>A crowd that had gathered to witness the rescue of miners at Cricket Mine in Kadoma cheered as survivors were pulled out of the mine. As of midday on Saturday, 8 miners had been rescued.</p>
<p>The miners were trapped on the night of Wednesday 13 February after heavy rains resulted in the collapse of a dam releasing water to the small scale mines. Between 60 and 70 people are feared dead.</p>
<h2>Related:</h2>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/15/watch-one-of-the-witnesses-of-battlefields-mine-disaster-speaks/" rel="bookmark">WATCH: One Of The Witnesses Of Battlefields Mine Disaster Speaks</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/15/breaking-battlefields-mine-accident-declared-national-disaster/" rel="bookmark">Battlefields Mine Accident Declared National Disaster</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/15/battlefields-mine-disaster-govt-appeals-for-us200-000/" rel="bookmark">Battlefields Mine Disaster: Govt Appeals For US$200 000</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/15/chamisa-comforts-the-families-of-trapped-battlefields-miners/" rel="bookmark">Chamisa Comforts The Families Of Trapped Battlefields Miners</a></h3>
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<h3><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/14/government-neglecting-38-trapped-miners-needing-rescue/" rel="bookmark">Government Neglecting 38 Trapped Miners Needing Emergency Rescue</a></h3>
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<p><em><strong>More: <a href="https://twitter.com/newswireZW/status/1096698034786914305">newZwire</a></strong></em></p>


WATCH: Crowd Cheers As 8 Miners Are Rescued

<p>Families of the miners who were trapped underground when water flooded shafts at two mines in Battlefields have lost hope that there are still survivors underground.</p>
<p>The two mines were flooded on Tuesday night after heavy rains pounded the area. The pits were suddenly submerged and water washed down shafts and tunnels trapping miners undergrounding the process.</p>
<p>One of the trapped miners has been identified as Xavier Chitiki. Speaking to <em><strong>The Herald</strong></em>, Matiki’s mother expressed little hope that his son would be found alive. She said:</p>
<blockquote><p>I know people are saying there is hope that Xavier would be found alive but from what I am seeing and the level of water I saw, there is little chance of that happening. I am preparing for the worst.</p></blockquote>
<h4><strong>Read Also:</strong></h4>
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<li class="entry-title">
<h4><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2019/02/15/battlefields-mine-disaster-casualties-expected-to-rise-to-50/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Battlefields Mine Disaster Casualties Expected To Rise To 50</strong></a></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4><strong>More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/more-feared-dead-in-battlefields-disaster/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Herald</a></strong></h4>


Relatives Of Trapped Battlefields Miners Prepare For The Worst

<p>38 goal panners are feared dead after they were trapped by floods in two mines shafts they were in, in Battlefields near Kadoma.</p>
<p>The incident occurred at Silver Moon Mine and, and another<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Allerta, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> at Cricket Mine in Muzvezve constituency on Tuesday night.</span></p>
<p>Mashonaland West Province police spokesperson, Inspector Clemence Mabweazara said that civil protection teams are being activated with heavy-duty pumps required to drain the water from the mines.</p>
<p>Water levels are believed to be rising, raising fears that the 38 miners could be drowned.</p>
<p>Mashonaland West Provincial Administrator, Cecilia Chitiyo revealed that RioZim has provided on a pump. A request has been made with Zimplats to provide rescue services.</p>
<p>Rescuers also need many pumps and generators before rescue efforts could commence.</p>
<h4><strong>More: <a href="http://www.zbc.co.zw/38-feared-dead-in-flooded-mine-shafts/">ZBC News</a></strong></h4>


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