HARARE – A gold gang armed with machetes and other offensive weapons stormed a police station and attempted to free their colleagues who had been arrested, police said.
Two ring leaders of the gang were shot in the confrontation before police arrested 40 of the attackers.
The incident on January 6 at Zenda police post in Nembudziya, Gokwe, came after police investigating the theft of 80 kilogrammes of gold ore at Zenda Mine arrested eight people. One suspect, Aaron Chipuya, avoided arrest and is on the run.
The suspects were taken to the Zenda police post for processing before two minibuses disgorged 40 artisanal from Kadoma who were armed with an assortment of weapons.
Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Blessmore Chishaka said the group armed with machetes, axes, shovels, picks and knobkerries “intended to forcefully free the eight criminals from police custody.”
“They charged towards the police vehicle, threatening to attack the police officers and overrun the police base unless their friends were released,” Chishaka said.
When the officers fired warning shots in the air, police say the daring raiders ignored them and kept advancing before police shot and wounded two of the gang.
“The rest tried to escape using the commuter omnibuses but the police shot and deflated the tyres leading to their arrest,” said Chishaka.
Police are charging the 48 suspects with robbery and obstruction of justice.
Police are on a nationwide blitz against illegal mining which has seen an upsurge in killings at gold mines.
The violence has been allowed to fester for too long because the gangs are controlled by powerful politicians including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the opposition MDC said.
“That the group of machete-wielding brigands known by the sobriquet #MaShurugwi could brazenly invade a police station is proof of their belief that they are above the law. A belief stemming from the position of authority held by their principal. Emmerson (Mnangagwa) must denounce his progeny,” MDC vice president Tendai Biti said on Twitter.
