News / National
Chief embroiled in gold mineral claims
07 Jun 2021 at 06:07hrs | Views
A CHIEF of the Mambo dynasty, Bekezela Nyathi is embroiled in a bitter wrangle over mineral claims for gold in Fort Rixon with a miner Blessed Ndiweni.
The claims in question are at Car Rhom North 20 mine, which is located at Mount Royal Fort Farm, Fort Rixon in Matabelaland South.
Ndiweni (the miner) at the weekend told Southern Eye that Car Rhom North 20 mine was inside a plot owned by the South Africa-based Lozwi King.
He alleged that chief Nyathi invaded his mine on February 27 this year and extracted gold and which he sold on the black market.
"Mount Royal Farm is legally owned by Patrick Hove, while Mambo is a plot holder inside the farm where my mine is located," Ndiweni said.
"Nyathi is exploiting minerals and selling them to the black market, while he has no mining permit. He is always collecting gold ore using a three-tonne truck and taking it to a stamping mill using South African registered vehicles. Who knows where he is taking the minerals? These are the people who might be involved in smuggling gold out of the country," he said.
Ndiweni claimed that recently he approached the police over the matter. Contacted for comment Nyathi said he did not even know Ndiweni, adding that he only spoke to him on the phone.
"I was looking for people who were illegally mining in our farm and left open pits which killed our 10 cattle."
Nyathi said when he inquired at the Mines office about who was mining at Car Rhom North 20 he discovered that it was a syndicate of four people.
"I found that their papers had expired and Ndiweni's name was not even among the owners. If he says it is his mine then he must pay for our 10 cattle which were killed due to the illegal mining activities that are leaving open pits on our farm. The farm belongs to King Mike Moyo of the Mambo dynasty," Nyathi said.
He also alleged that Ndiweni was sponsoring a machete gang in the area.
Matabeleland South provincial mining director Khumbulani Mlangeni said he had not received any official complaints about the mine wrangle from Ndiweni.
"I do not remember receiving any official complaint from Ndiweni. What I remember is that Nyathi once called us to report that there were people that are illegally mining in the farm," Mlangeni said.
The claims in question are at Car Rhom North 20 mine, which is located at Mount Royal Fort Farm, Fort Rixon in Matabelaland South.
Ndiweni (the miner) at the weekend told Southern Eye that Car Rhom North 20 mine was inside a plot owned by the South Africa-based Lozwi King.
He alleged that chief Nyathi invaded his mine on February 27 this year and extracted gold and which he sold on the black market.
"Mount Royal Farm is legally owned by Patrick Hove, while Mambo is a plot holder inside the farm where my mine is located," Ndiweni said.
"Nyathi is exploiting minerals and selling them to the black market, while he has no mining permit. He is always collecting gold ore using a three-tonne truck and taking it to a stamping mill using South African registered vehicles. Who knows where he is taking the minerals? These are the people who might be involved in smuggling gold out of the country," he said.
"I was looking for people who were illegally mining in our farm and left open pits which killed our 10 cattle."
Nyathi said when he inquired at the Mines office about who was mining at Car Rhom North 20 he discovered that it was a syndicate of four people.
"I found that their papers had expired and Ndiweni's name was not even among the owners. If he says it is his mine then he must pay for our 10 cattle which were killed due to the illegal mining activities that are leaving open pits on our farm. The farm belongs to King Mike Moyo of the Mambo dynasty," Nyathi said.
He also alleged that Ndiweni was sponsoring a machete gang in the area.
Matabeleland South provincial mining director Khumbulani Mlangeni said he had not received any official complaints about the mine wrangle from Ndiweni.
"I do not remember receiving any official complaint from Ndiweni. What I remember is that Nyathi once called us to report that there were people that are illegally mining in the farm," Mlangeni said.
Source - newsday
