CHEGUTU – A stand-off between thousands of artisanal miners and police backed by Central Intelligence Organisation agents reached boiling point in Chegutu on Thursday with the shooting death of one of the miners.
The youthful miners, gathered under a cooperative called Danangwe District Youth in Mining (DDYM), have for weeks been resisting eviction from the gold-rich Gadzema mine in Chegutu, which is owned by a company called Breckridge.
Riot police tried to again enforce the eviction on Thursday but found themselves overwhelmed the youths numbering over 2,000.
Lovemore Feyani, 30, who was identified as a well-known Zanu PF activist, died after he was shot, apparently after police used live ammunition to try and disperse the youths who were throwing stones and menacingly charging at their position.
Gold wars are commonplace across Zimbabwe, with unemployed youths often involved in clashes with mine owners after invading their mines looking for the precious mineral.
