News / National
Violence breaks out at Vumbachikwe Mine as panners fight over gold
24 Jul 2025 at 16:19hrs | Views
Gold panner wounded during the fight at Vumbachikwe on Tuesday.
Violence broke out at the Vumbachikwe Mine in Gwanda on Tuesday morning, where illegal gold panners who are now the order of the day were fighting over gold.
Since the closure of the mine in November 2022, the mining shafts have become sites for gold panning in which some remaining skeleton staff are accused of taking bribes from the panners so as to allow them access into the mining shafts.
Sources at the mine said violence broke out at the mine between rival groups of gold panners, leading to some of them being seriously injured, one of them seriously in the attack in which the rival groups use machetes, axes, and knives to bludgeon each other.
The source posted a picture of one of the gold panners who was seriously attacked and seriously wounded during the violence
"One of the illegal miners was assaulted by rival groups at Churu Farm, Vumbachikwe illegal mining," said the source
"They are fighting over gold and the fight is threatening to be very bloody, considering the state of the victims who got injured, and their colleagues may want to take revenge. Since the closure of this mine, there has never been peace, gold panners came from all over, some from as far as the Midlands and Filabusi. Sadly, the mine management is failing to reopen and return the mine to normalcy, maybe this would bring peace in our community."
Vumbachikwe Mine community members recently complained over the random blasting occurring at the mine amid revelations gold panners continue to invade the mine, leading to an increase in violent crimes such as murder.
The locals called for increased policing of the area and proper investors to take over the mine, with concerns that the current owners are failing to fully reopen the mine to make it economically viable as it was before.
The mine was closed in November 2022 following violent demonstrations by the workers' wives, which resulted in the burning of company property that including cars.
The demonstrations were after the company had failed to pay workers for several months, complaining about financial challenges.
Since then, management has been struggling to reopen the mine amid indications that gold panners who bribe some of the current skeleton staff invade the mine shafts in search of gold.
A community member who asked to remain anonymous recently said the area is now full of gold panners.
"This is putting local residents at great danger as about a month ago, one or two people were murdered and the culprits are at large," he said.
"Random blasts are taking place at any time near low-density suburbs, and this is affecting us a lot."
The community member said that as of now, the underground water is covering the upper levels in the mining shafts because it has not been drained for some time.
"Who ever is going to reopen the mine has to invest a lot of money because the damage made underground is colossal," said one of the workers who are still hoping to be called back to work if the company reopens.
The worker said he got wind that the management has engaged a small scale miner in Esigodini in efforts to re-operationalise the mine.
"l have been informed that Forbes and Thompson have partnered with a small gold mine currently operating at Esigodini near Falcon college," said the disgruntled worker.
"Their first objective is to run the dump and letter resumes underground operations. To my own view this is game to buy time and giving the Government a misleading picture on the ghost mine."
He noted that of late he was informed that senior staff have been paid US$105, same amount which was paid to lower grades which had a condition attached.
In March this year media reports stated that three illegal gold panner fell into excavation shaft at Vumbachikwe Mine, with revelations rescue operations and police managed to retrieve only one of them, while other 17 bodies or so of some other panners who fell in to the same place sometime ago were reportedly discovered during the rescue operations.
The concerns were that regular illegal invasion of the mine by gold panners exposes a serious neglect and failure by the current owners Forbes and Thompson Private Limited Company to resuscitate the mine and safeguard it's existence since it's closure in 2022 after crippling protests by workers families over non payment of salaries.
The mine has remained closed with the owners seemingly diverting operation to just a milling company without any significant mining being done.
The mine now relies from gold panners for gold ore supplies instead of conducting mining on sight amid concerns some corrupt remaining workers were sneaking in illegal gold panners through demanding bribes so that they conduct illegal mine under ground.
However, Matabeleland South Acting Mining Director Tariro Ndhlovu recently could not respond to questions sent.
The source said less than 100 workers are under essential service, and they do not have hope that it the mine will ever be opened soon.
The mine last year launched milling plant which workers say has not yet been operation since then.
Since the closure of the mine in November 2022, the mining shafts have become sites for gold panning in which some remaining skeleton staff are accused of taking bribes from the panners so as to allow them access into the mining shafts.
Sources at the mine said violence broke out at the mine between rival groups of gold panners, leading to some of them being seriously injured, one of them seriously in the attack in which the rival groups use machetes, axes, and knives to bludgeon each other.
The source posted a picture of one of the gold panners who was seriously attacked and seriously wounded during the violence
"One of the illegal miners was assaulted by rival groups at Churu Farm, Vumbachikwe illegal mining," said the source
"They are fighting over gold and the fight is threatening to be very bloody, considering the state of the victims who got injured, and their colleagues may want to take revenge. Since the closure of this mine, there has never been peace, gold panners came from all over, some from as far as the Midlands and Filabusi. Sadly, the mine management is failing to reopen and return the mine to normalcy, maybe this would bring peace in our community."
Vumbachikwe Mine community members recently complained over the random blasting occurring at the mine amid revelations gold panners continue to invade the mine, leading to an increase in violent crimes such as murder.
The locals called for increased policing of the area and proper investors to take over the mine, with concerns that the current owners are failing to fully reopen the mine to make it economically viable as it was before.
The mine was closed in November 2022 following violent demonstrations by the workers' wives, which resulted in the burning of company property that including cars.
The demonstrations were after the company had failed to pay workers for several months, complaining about financial challenges.
Since then, management has been struggling to reopen the mine amid indications that gold panners who bribe some of the current skeleton staff invade the mine shafts in search of gold.
A community member who asked to remain anonymous recently said the area is now full of gold panners.
"This is putting local residents at great danger as about a month ago, one or two people were murdered and the culprits are at large," he said.
The community member said that as of now, the underground water is covering the upper levels in the mining shafts because it has not been drained for some time.
"Who ever is going to reopen the mine has to invest a lot of money because the damage made underground is colossal," said one of the workers who are still hoping to be called back to work if the company reopens.
The worker said he got wind that the management has engaged a small scale miner in Esigodini in efforts to re-operationalise the mine.
"l have been informed that Forbes and Thompson have partnered with a small gold mine currently operating at Esigodini near Falcon college," said the disgruntled worker.
"Their first objective is to run the dump and letter resumes underground operations. To my own view this is game to buy time and giving the Government a misleading picture on the ghost mine."
He noted that of late he was informed that senior staff have been paid US$105, same amount which was paid to lower grades which had a condition attached.
In March this year media reports stated that three illegal gold panner fell into excavation shaft at Vumbachikwe Mine, with revelations rescue operations and police managed to retrieve only one of them, while other 17 bodies or so of some other panners who fell in to the same place sometime ago were reportedly discovered during the rescue operations.
The concerns were that regular illegal invasion of the mine by gold panners exposes a serious neglect and failure by the current owners Forbes and Thompson Private Limited Company to resuscitate the mine and safeguard it's existence since it's closure in 2022 after crippling protests by workers families over non payment of salaries.
The mine has remained closed with the owners seemingly diverting operation to just a milling company without any significant mining being done.
The mine now relies from gold panners for gold ore supplies instead of conducting mining on sight amid concerns some corrupt remaining workers were sneaking in illegal gold panners through demanding bribes so that they conduct illegal mine under ground.
However, Matabeleland South Acting Mining Director Tariro Ndhlovu recently could not respond to questions sent.
The source said less than 100 workers are under essential service, and they do not have hope that it the mine will ever be opened soon.
The mine last year launched milling plant which workers say has not yet been operation since then.
Source - Byo24news
