Artisanal miner kills colleague over cigarette

The love of cigarettes led a Guruve man in hot soup after he allegedly struck his mining colleague with an iron bar to death.


Bothwell Manyika (34) of Hamayemhuka village in Guruve is assisting police with investigations following the death of his colleague one Tom.

Sources close to investigations alleged the incident happened on July 13 near Chirwa mine in Guruve.

"The two were sleeping at their base in Guruve when Manyika discovered that his cigarettes were missing asked for his cigarettes from his colleague who  said he never saw them," the source said.

"A misunderstanding ensued and the two went for bed the following day Manyika also discovered that his US$33 and another pack of cigarettes  was missing he picked a iron bar and struck Tom several times all over the body and went away."


It is further alleged that Manyika came back a few hours latter and discovered that his colleague had died and he tried to take the body to a bushy area down a mountain.

The dead body was discovered by his friend Israel Gwaze who trailed blood stains down the mountain and he filed a police report leading to the arrest of Manyika.