News / National
'Gang' murders colleague and burn his body over food
04 Feb 2012 at 22:56hrs | Views
Police in Mashonaland West have launched a manhunt for a seven-member gang of illegal gold panners who reportedly murdered their colleague before subsequently setting his body ablaze following a dispute over the sharing of food.
The seven gold panners are said to have tied the deceased's hands with a wire before pouring five litres of petrol onto his body and setting him alight.
Police have since deployed detectives to Harare and around Chinhoyi to track the gang which is believed to be led by an illegal gold panner only identified as Shaba.
According to police records, on January 21, 2012 at around 17:30 hours, Brighton Gwapedza (24) is said to have argued with his colleagues over how food was being shared among the group.
It is said Gwapedza felt that his colleagues were treating him unfairly and raised the matter.
However, instead of sympathy all he got was a severe beating that saw his colleagues using iron bars, clenched fists and boots.
Eyewitnesses interviewed by the police said Gwapedza bled profusely and sustained suspected broken ribs.
Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabwgeazara said preliminary investigations indicated that Shaba, the gang leader, planned the killing.
"Our investigations indicate that these illegal panners killed Gwapedza in a bid to reduce the number of people when sharing their proceeds.
"We have since launched a manhunt for these seven illegal gold panners and we have only managed to identify three of them and they are Israel, Shaba, Petros and four others," said Inspector Mabwgeazara.
He said Shaba and Israel are suspected to be the masterminds behind the murder.
After they set Gwapedza ablaze the gang is said to have fled while fellow illegal panners extinguished the fire using soil.
They later made a police report and Gwapedza was ferried to Chinhoyi Hospital before being transferred to Harare Central Hospital where he eventually died.
Inspector Mabwgeazara said on January 29, Gwapedza's brother, Charles, notified them that he had died due to the burns and head injuries he sustained from the beatings.
"We believe this gang is now either in Harare or Kariba and our detectives are now tracking them. We are confident that the murderers will be brought to book soon," he said.
Cases of illegal gold panners murdering each other have been on the increase of late with the precious mineral, food, women and alcohol usually being at the centre of the fatal disputes.
The seven gold panners are said to have tied the deceased's hands with a wire before pouring five litres of petrol onto his body and setting him alight.
Police have since deployed detectives to Harare and around Chinhoyi to track the gang which is believed to be led by an illegal gold panner only identified as Shaba.
According to police records, on January 21, 2012 at around 17:30 hours, Brighton Gwapedza (24) is said to have argued with his colleagues over how food was being shared among the group.
It is said Gwapedza felt that his colleagues were treating him unfairly and raised the matter.
However, instead of sympathy all he got was a severe beating that saw his colleagues using iron bars, clenched fists and boots.
Eyewitnesses interviewed by the police said Gwapedza bled profusely and sustained suspected broken ribs.
"Our investigations indicate that these illegal panners killed Gwapedza in a bid to reduce the number of people when sharing their proceeds.
"We have since launched a manhunt for these seven illegal gold panners and we have only managed to identify three of them and they are Israel, Shaba, Petros and four others," said Inspector Mabwgeazara.
He said Shaba and Israel are suspected to be the masterminds behind the murder.
After they set Gwapedza ablaze the gang is said to have fled while fellow illegal panners extinguished the fire using soil.
They later made a police report and Gwapedza was ferried to Chinhoyi Hospital before being transferred to Harare Central Hospital where he eventually died.
Inspector Mabwgeazara said on January 29, Gwapedza's brother, Charles, notified them that he had died due to the burns and head injuries he sustained from the beatings.
"We believe this gang is now either in Harare or Kariba and our detectives are now tracking them. We are confident that the murderers will be brought to book soon," he said.
Cases of illegal gold panners murdering each other have been on the increase of late with the precious mineral, food, women and alcohol usually being at the centre of the fatal disputes.
Source - TSM
