Fatal shooting a Chinese owned mine sparks violent protests in Zimbabwe

A fatal shooting in the gold-rich Premier area, just outside Mutare, occurred yesterday morning, resulting in the death of an artisanal miner at the hands of a security guard. The tragic incident has led to widespread unrest, with local residents expressing their outrage through violent protests at the Sino Africa Hui Jin Holding premises.

By the time our news crew arrived at the scene, police had already intervened to restore order, although tensions remained high within the community. After securing the body of the deceased, police officers were seen holding a closed-door meeting with the mine's management for about 30 minutes at the company's premises.

Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the shooting, but directed further inquiries to his superior, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who was unavailable for comment at the time of publication. The identity of the deceased could not be released as his next of kin had not yet been notified.

Efforts to obtain a statement from Sino Africa Hui Jin Holdings were unsuccessful. The company's senior employee, identified only as Nyasha, repeatedly declined media requests for an interview, citing urgent work commitments.

"I am too busy to talk to you," Nyasha said when approached by The Manica Post.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the security guard responsible for the shooting, along with the mine manager, was taken to the hospital after being attacked by a mob of angry locals. Reports indicated that both individuals suffered injuries during the violent protests at the company premises.

Community members were quick to voice their anger, with some calling the actions of the security guard "unwarranted" and "senseless." One of the protesters, Mr. Samuel Mutidzawanda, emphasized that the community had had enough of what they described as "trigger-happy" security guards who act with impunity.

"We demand answers and accountability for the senseless killing of our community member. This is unacceptable. This is not the first time that we have witnessed an unwarranted loss of life at this mine. This should come to a stop. We will revolt against their presence here because one can only imagine if the deceased was from their family," said Mutidzawanda.

Other protesters echoed similar sentiments, demanding justice for the deceased and calling for immediate action to be taken against those responsible.

"We are aware that there was a grudge between the security guard and the shot artisanal miner. In fact, the late artisanal miner was negotiating with other guards to pay a small amount of money to be allowed into the mining area and do his work. This is when the trigger-happy security guard came and started arguing with the deceased, leading to the fatal shooting," said another protester, Mrs. Miriam Sithole. "However, we cannot condone the needless use of weapons to kill defenceless people in our peaceful community and country. This was a needless loss of life."

As of now, police are continuing their investigation into the shooting, while the community remains on edge, calling for justice and accountability for the fatal incident. The unrest at Sino Africa Hui Jin Holding is a stark reminder of the tensions between mining companies, security forces, and local communities in the region, particularly in the context of artisanal mining activities.