Search / Illegal gold panners
Chatunga Mugabe arrested over brutal assault
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been arrested in connection with a violent assault on mine workers near the Mugabe family estate...Published: 01 Jul 2025 at 17:16hrs | 775 | by Staff reporter
Mugabe's son leads AK-47 armed mob at a Zimbabwe mine
A security guard is fighting for his life after a savage assault at a Mazowe mining site, allegedly orchestrated by former President Robert Mugabe's son, Bellarmine Chatunga, and a group of men armed ...Published: 27 Jun 2025 at 09:35hrs | 1228 | by Staff reporter
Gold panners continue to invade Vumbachikwe Mine
Vumbachikwe Mine community members have complained over the random blasting occurring at the mine amid revelations gold panners continue to invade the min...Published: 22 Jun 2025 at 22:44hrs | 421 | by Stephen Jakes
BCC collects US$2,000 in environment fines
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has collected more than US$2,600 from environmental fines while still being owed over US$3,300, according to a new report from the council's Parks Section detailing int...Published: 18 Jun 2025 at 07:33hrs | 404 | by Staff reporter
BCC battle illegal environmental activities
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has intensified efforts to clamp down on illegal gold mining, sand poaching, and firewood theft-activities that are wreaking havoc on the environment and jeopardising t...Published: 21 May 2025 at 08:56hrs | 190 | by Staff reporter
Bulawayo Council nets over US$2,000 in fines
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has collected more than US$2,000 in environmental offence fines for April alone, as it intensifies efforts to combat the surge in illegal gold panning, sand poaching, a...Published: 10 May 2025 at 13:09hrs | 243 | by Staff reporter
Bulawayo cracks down against gold panners
In a bid to curb the increasing menace of illegal gold panning and sand poaching in Matabeleland South province, the Bulawayo City Council is planning to establish a permanent base for its rangers and...Published: 14 Apr 2025 at 09:13hrs | 175 | by Staff reporter
Baboons terrorise Pumula residents
Bulawayo residents, particularly in Pumula South, are facing growing human-wildlife conflicts as baboons encroach onto their settlements, causing distress and property damage.According to the ...Published: 28 Mar 2025 at 05:44hrs | 285 | by Staff reporter
Mine workers around Gwanda chronicle cocktail of unfair labour practices
Mine workers in Matabeleland South have reported facing threats of illness, death from diseases, violations of their labour and human rights, and horrific living conditions during their work in mines....Published: 12 Mar 2025 at 22:13hrs | 1966 | by Stephen Jakes
Illegal miners invade Rhodes Estate in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean Government has deployed security and environmental agencies to the Rhodes Estate in the Matopos National Park following growing concerns over illegal gold mining activities that are thr...Published: 30 Jan 2025 at 06:53hrs | 361 | by Staff reporter
Zanu-PF grabs gold-rich mine
ZANU-PF officials, led by Dambudzo Mnangagwa who claims to represent the First Family, are reportedly involved in a targeted attempt to illegally seize control of gold-rich Vubachikwe Mine in Gwanda, ...Published: 11 Jan 2025 at 08:41hrs | 768 | by Staff reporter
Illegal gold panners sneak into Vumbachikwe mine
PLUS or minus 100 Illegal gold panners reportedly sneaked into Vumbachikwe mine this week where about 38 of them have reportedly been arrested with cases pending in the courts.A local source r...Published: 13 Dec 2024 at 13:02hrs | 564 | by Staff reporter
Environmental crisis looms at Vumbachikwe... amid concern over management's non compliance
ENVIRONMENTAL crisis is reportedly looming at Vumbachikwe mine in Gwanda after the management set up an allegedly substandard elution processing facilities wrapped around by a sail above ground surfac...Published: 02 Dec 2024 at 15:58hrs | 461 | by Stephen Jakes
Guard shoots at marauding illegal gold panners, 1 dead
Tragedy struck at a gold mine in Guruve on Thursday when 33-year-old Titus Masango was shot dead amid a violent confrontation involving a gang of illegal gold panners. The incident, confirmed by the Z...Published: 27 Oct 2024 at 12:31hrs | 433 | by Staff reporter
Gold panners invade Vumbachikwe Mine
Illegal gold panners are reportedly sneaking into the closed Vumbachikwe Mine in Gwanda, Matabeleland South, to extract gold, NewsDay has learned.Last Saturday, one of the panners was struck b...Published: 12 Sep 2024 at 07:17hrs | 404 | by Staff reporter
100 illegal gold panners arrested in Esigodini, Umzingwane
A recent joint operation by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and the police has led to the arrest of 100 illegal gold panners in the Umzingwane catchment area, which supplies much of the city’s water...Published: 17 Aug 2024 at 12:36hrs | 142 | by Staff reporter
Over US$2 000 collected as BCC, police raid gold panners
Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has reported that it collected over US$2,000 in fines for environmental violations across its jurisdiction and water catchment areas, according to its latest minutes addres...Published: 10 Jul 2024 at 07:48hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
BCC, police operation nets 44 gold panners
A joint operation by Bulawayo City Council rangers and police in the Umzingwane water catchment and Greater Bulawayo area has led to the arrest of 44 illegal gold panners and the collection of US$2,72...Published: 11 Jun 2024 at 06:20hrs | 3 | by Staff reporter
Gold panners invade Bulawayo suburbs
GOLD panners have invaded Bulawayo causing environmental degradation in two of its suburbs, the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has said.The illegal gold panners have caused environmental degradat...Published: 11 Mar 2024 at 11:33hrs | 5 | by Staff reporter
Filabusi gold wars turn ugly
IN a harrowing ordeal that shook Filabusi District, Prosper Ncube, a young miner, recently became a victim of a vicious assault. Under the cloak of night, he was ambushed and mercilessly beaten by a g...Published: 09 Mar 2024 at 09:14hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Bulawayo City Council pounces on gold panners
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has declared war on gold panners in Esgodini, collecting US$2 000 in fines in the process.According to latest council minutes on the Parks Section monthly report, a...Published: 08 Jan 2024 at 05:33hrs | 14 | by Staff reporter
Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi contesting in Zanu-PF primary elections
14 pupils injured after sinkhole opens up in classroomFourteen pupils at a Kwekwe school were treated for injuries on Thursday after a sinkhole opened up in the middle of their classroom – the c...Published: 16 Mar 2023 at 16:08hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Teenage 'Mashurugwi' nabbed for gold heist
Two machete wielding teenage illegal gold panners were arrested by police together with two others after allegedly attacking and robbing a fellow panner of US$300 cash and 1.5 grams of gold.Po...Published: 19 Feb 2023 at 18:12hrs | 12 | by Staff reporter
Bulawayo council, police joint operation nets 200 panners at supply dams
At least 201 illegal gold panners were arrested in 2022 during a joint operation by police and city rangers to curb the vice around the city's water supply dams.This is contained in the Bulawa...Published: 12 Feb 2023 at 07:19hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Gold panners wreak havoc at school
KWEKWE's Globe and Phoenix Primary School is under siege from illegal gold panners who are randomly digging within its premises, forcing the institution to decommission some of its classroom blocks....Published: 06 Dec 2022 at 05:06hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Gold panners besiege Kwekwe monuments
GOLD panners have invaded three historical monuments in Globe and Phoenix, Kwekwe, leaving the properties facing possible collapse.The illegal miners have been digging tunnels and pits at the ...Published: 08 Nov 2022 at 05:10hrs | 3 | by Staff reporter
Gold panners impose curfew
RESIDENTS of Esigodini in Matabeleland South province are living in fear of suspected illegal panners who are terrorising them and have reportedly imposed some form of a ‘7 pm curfew' in the a...Published: 07 Oct 2022 at 05:55hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Chinese man attacked, killed in Zimbabwe
A 60-year-old Chinese man who was working at a mine in Inyathi under Bubi district, Matabeleland North province died at Materdei hospital after he was robbed and severely attacked at the mine....Published: 10 Sep 2022 at 06:19hrs | 26 | by Staff reporter
Illegal miners threaten railway tracks
SMALL-scale chrome miners have invaded Mapanzure area in Zvishavane, Midlands Province, where they are conducting illegal mining activities along the Gweru-Zvishavane railway line, amid growing fears ...Published: 10 Aug 2022 at 06:31hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
Police arrest 112 gold panners in Bulawayo
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC), in conjunction with the police, the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority have since January this year ar...Published: 08 Jul 2022 at 07:37hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Omakorokoza turn Sharona Park into no-go area
SHARONA Park situated north-east of Meadowlands, and north-west of Heany Junction Farm, on the outskirts of Bulawayo, has been turned into a "no-go area" by over hundred machete-brandishing illegal go...Published: 17 Jun 2022 at 08:52hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
ZANU PF councillors breath fire over ZACC report
ZANU PF councillors in Mazowe are demanding a Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) report of Mazowe Rural District Council (MRDC)which a...Published: 12 Apr 2022 at 14:30hrs | 2 | by Ndou Paul
Granny axed to death as family watches
RESIDENTS of Gwanda are in shock following the death of a 68-year-old woman who was killed by an axe wielding man who had a score to settle with the woman's daughter and grandson.The woman, Em...Published: 03 Apr 2022 at 08:25hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
Pregnant girls troop back to school
SEVERAL teenage girls in Ntabazinduna who had dropped out of school after falling pregnant during the Covid-19 pandemic when schools were closed for the better part of last year have returned to schoo...Published: 03 Apr 2022 at 08:23hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
Panners in court for stabbing, robbing police officers
FOUR illegal gold panners have been dragged to the Bulawayo Magistrates Court facing allegations of robbing and stabbing two police officers in the city.Mbekezeli Brighton Sibanda (24), Michae...Published: 03 Mar 2022 at 05:43hrs | | by Staff reporter
Man found dead after mine shootout
A body of an unknown man believed to have been part of a 20-man gang that were involved in shoot-out with a security guard after raiding a mine in Shamva has been found with a gunshot wound at the bac...Published: 02 Mar 2022 at 05:32hrs | 2 | by Staff reporter
20-hour daily water shedding in Bulawayo
BULAWAYO has introduced a 20-hour daily water shedding exercise for some western suburbs and is expected to decommission Umzingwane Dam this month, necessitating reintroduction of citywide water ratio...Published: 01 Mar 2022 at 05:34hrs | | by Staff reporter
Over 30 000 unlicensed drivers arrested
POLICE have arrested over 30 000 motorists for driving without licenses and driving unregistered motor vehicles.Meanwhile, police have also arrested 113 683 people for cross border offences si...Published: 23 Feb 2022 at 16:15hrs | | by Staff reporter
Mudha and nexus of Kwekwe gold terror
AT the time former president Robert Mugabe was deposed in a military coup in November 2017, police were investigating senior Zanu-PF officials linked to then Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa over all...Published: 15 Jan 2022 at 15:00hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
'Zimbabwe governed by roving bandits'
OPPOSITION MDC Alliance vice-president Tendai Biti yesterday accused government of placing the country under siege, saying this had resulted in ordinary Zimbabweans living under very harsh economic co...Published: 01 Oct 2021 at 07:58hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
Police arrest 28 037 illegal gold panners
POLICE have arrested 28 037 illegal gold panners since the commencement of the operation "Chikorokoza ngachipere/ isitsheketsha kasiphele / no to machete gangs".The operation was launched on 7...Published: 15 Aug 2021 at 10:12hrs | | by Staff reporter
Woman hires hitmen for hubby, commits suicide
A WOMAN from Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North committed suicide on Tuesday after police were closing in on her for hiring three hitmen to kill her youthful husband two weeks ago. Ms Sitshengi...Published: 14 Aug 2021 at 07:19hrs | | by Staff reporter
63 pregnant school girls drop out in Bulawayo
IN a trend that has exposed the continued exploitation of the girl child in both rural and urban communities, 63 girls in Bulawayo dropped out of school after being impregnated, while about 40 pupils ...Published: 13 Jun 2021 at 19:58hrs | 5 | by Staff reporter
Omakorokoza derail NRZ
GOLD panners are costing the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) millions of dollars annually through vandalism of railway infrastructure by mining along railway lines across the country.Illeg...Published: 27 May 2021 at 07:10hrs | | by Staff reporter
Illegal gold panners unleash reign of terror in Mat South, Mberengwa
GOLD panners have unleashed a reign of terror in Malungwane Village in Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South attacking villagers with axes, machetes and knobkerries. The development has seen...Published: 27 Mar 2021 at 09:09hrs | | by Lovemore Dube
Soldiers accused of gold panning in Bulawayo
ILLEGAL mining activities that are likely to disturb the urban environment are taking place in a bushy area in Emhlangeni near Mzilikazi Barracks, commonly known as Brady Barracks along the Harare-Bul...Published: 03 Dec 2020 at 06:45hrs | | by Staff reporter
Machete gang robs rival miner of US$15 000
A GANG of 11 machete-wielding illegal gold panners allegedly invaded a gold mine in Zhombe in the Midlands and attacked a rival while he was prospecting for gold before robbing him of US$15 000 and ex...Published: 20 Nov 2020 at 06:01hrs | 1 | by Staff reporter
'Gold' Baron Dube jailed 10 years
POPULAR gold dealer, Baron Dube (44) of Habane Extension Township in Esigodini has been sentenced to an effective 10 years in prison for killing a member of a rival gang following a dispute at a mine....Published: 12 Nov 2020 at 05:45hrs | | by Staff reporter
The mystery of the Mnangagwa gold mill
NOTHING is wrong when a president deals in gold, ordinarily. But, when you hear that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his family run a gold mill, you struggle to convince yourself that everything is r...Published: 08 Nov 2020 at 07:35hrs | 1 | by Tawanda Majoni
Rise in criminal activities in Matebeleland South mining areas
CRIMINAL activities occurring in mining areas in Matebeleland South are severely affecting surrounding communities, with some community members becoming victims. A number of crimes which inclu...Published: 30 Oct 2020 at 06:19hrs | | by Staff reporter
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