Gold panner beheaded, family cries foul

The family of a gold panner who was recently found with his head decapitated on a railway line in Mbalabala, Umzingwane District, has said they suspect foul play. Christopher Mudzingwa became the sixth man to be found dead in Emawabeni area inside three years and residents said they suspect he was murdered and his body placed on a railway track to cover up the murder.

The gold panner's family said yesterday that they suspected foul play. Family spokesperson Anderson Takaendesa said indications were that Mudzingwa was murdered. "We've received the postmortem report which states that his head was decapitated.

"He also had some of his fingers crushed by the train. However, we're not convinced that he could have committed suicide," said Takaendesa.

Mudzingwa's postmortem reads: "Cause of death decapitation/ railway accident. Circumstances leading to death: the now deceased tried to cross a railway line when there was a stationary goods train pulling 25 wagons. However, the goods train was set in motion and the now deceased was trapped and dragged for about 20 metres."

Acting Matabeleland South police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nkosilathi Sibanda said: "We stand guided by the postmortem. We're treating this as sudden death as the report states he was killed in a train accident." However, Takaendesa said it was suspicious that before his death, Mudzingwa had been seen in the company of a man who was once arrested for murder, but was released under unclear circumstances. He said they had resolved to engage the police to try and find his murderers.

"We don't consider this as an accident. After his burial today we will go to Gwanda to meet the investigating officers," he said. Fierce fights are said to be common among gold panners, with "gold barons" at the centre and bodies of murdered rivals are thrown onto the railway line to mask the deaths as suicide.

Esigodini residents said they were now living in fear.