Zanu-PF members in a messy wrangle over a gold mine

Senior officials at the faction ridden Bulawayo Zanu PF province are in a messy wrangle with the youth league leaders over a gold mine in Matopo district.

The mine is known as Nuggets Mine.

Members of each grouping have engaged in fistfights.

Under fire provincial chairman Isaac Dakamela and the provincial indigenisation secretary Charles Chiponda have ganged up to evict and the mine current mine owner Keen Gatsi.

The two leaders this week hired several youths to forcibly remove Gatsi but they meet massive resistance.

A Zanu PF official close to the goings on said Dakamela is on record as having openly declared that he is interested in taking over the mine.

"But the youths are strongly resisting the illegal takeover because the mine was registered under the Mines Ministry last year. They can't use their political muscle to grab the mine."

"The fight over the mine has sowed fresh divisions between the provincial executive and the youth league," said the source.

Youths in Bulawayo have on several attempts tried to oust Dakamela for his alleged link to white businessmen and scuttling the indigenisation programme.

Dakamela argued that the indigenisation exercise should be implemented in line with the statutes while on the other hand youths were on the rampage grabbing buildings in the city centre.

However, Dakamela has since distanced himself from the take over, "I have never hired youths to fight on my behalf. And I am not interested in the mine. It's a lie,"

The indigenisation policy has generated chaotic scenes in Bulawayo over the past year with Zanu PF members grabbing properties belonging to Indian and white businesspeople.