BY BLESSED MHLANGA

Democratic Alliance (DA) and opposition leader in the South African parliament Mmusi Maimane, walked into the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Saturday for the final campaign rally, ahead of voting today to deliver a message that his fellow countrymen needed to break away from its past with Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress.

Soweto is the bastion of black South African politics and the home or birthplace of Maimane himself and ANC heavyweights such as the late Winnie Mandela, President Ramaphosa, Tokyo Sexwale, Nelson Mandela, Frank Chikane, Lilian Ngoyi, Desmond Tutu and Hector Peterson, among the many luminaries.

But this is a new age and after witnessing the steady fading of Nelson Mandela’s dream of a prosperous and more equal South Africa, through the Thabo Mbeki years and the disaster of Jacob Zuma’s presidency, the millennials appear in need of a new vision and hope.

The eloquent young leader was at the stadium to sell his vision to thousands of supporters that the vote taking place today was the opportunity to create a new future, unshackled from the stronghold of local politics by the liberation war heroes, whose home is the ANC.

“We need to liberate ourselves from our liberators, they have now turned into oppressors, feeding their tummies from corruption and abuse of State power – on May 8 send them to prison and not to Parliament,” Maimane said.

“They are stealing money from government, they stole SAR1,3 trillion and then claim that they liberated this country. They invoke the name of Nelson Mandela while stealing. Those who liberated our country are turning in their graves,” Maimane said.

Immediately, as I listened to the speech, my mind turned to Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa, the two appeared to be sharing the same hymn book.

The MDC accuses Zanu PF of having replaced the white oppressors and holding the country to ransom because they fought in the liberation struggle.

“We now have certain greedy and selfish characters, who are hijacking the liberation struggle for their own benefit. The liberation struggle was never about an individual’s owning multiple cars, multiple farms, houses and swimming pools — even if you can only swim in one. It was never about that. It was never about the trinkets and trappings of power,” Chamisa told NewsDay in a recent interview.

Both the MDC and DA face the same challenges. They are viewed as conduits to recolonisation and a back-door through which the white minority rule hopes to make a return.

The DA is a hard sell in South African politics, after coming out of a merger between the Democratic Party and the New National Party, a remnant of the country’s long-time ruling party and apartheid architect, the National Party.

This was immediately obvious when my taxi driver, who insisted on being called Patrick, told me that the DA would not win the elections.

“It is a white minority party and Maimane is a white man in black skin,” he said. He took over as party leader from Helen Zille in 2015 in what many commentators saw as an attempt to broaden the party’s appeal to black voters. That Maimane’s wife, Natalie, is white, does not help matters.

But at Dobsonville, Maimane pushed his case: “We are more diverse than ever before. We govern in more places than ever before. We are united in our mission of building one South Africa for all. The DA is the only party for all South Africans, and you will find us everywhere, from Durban to Dobsonville, from Chatsworth to Carletonville, and from Motherwell to Mitchells Plain. We are young and old, black and white. We are Christian, Muslim, Jewish and non-believers. We are men and women, gay and straight. We’re in cities, we’re in villages and we’re on farms,” he told his audience.

For Patrick, that is immaterial.

“The DA is a white party and the EFF is good as the opposition, but their leader is too dangerous to allow anywhere close to power. I have no choice, but to vote ANC, but those guys are corrupt my friend,” he said, though he admits to feeling the pinch of an economic slowdown, the fall in the value of the rand and higher prices.

Midvaal mayor Bongani Baloyi’s chief of staff Mooipone Molotlhanyi, a DA member, holds a different perspective, saying those who say DA is a white party are misled.

Molotlhanyi spoke of how the ANC had turned the social grants given to the poor and elderly in South Africa to a party programme.

“There is this threat that grants will be withdrawn if the ANC does not win elections. The grants are not even an ANC programme, but government,” she said.

Africa Liberal Network co-ordinator, Nangamso Kwinana, calls it the curse of Africa, where liberators have become oppressors and a new wave of liberation movement was now needed.

“It is an African curse. We see it in most African countries, but speaking to South Africa and Zimbabwe, both countries have vibrant opposition parties, leading citizens who have endured the disservice of our former liberation parties. Both countries are yearning for change, for growth economic partnerships and progress,” Kwinana said.

Friedeich Nauman Foundation project director in South Africa and Zimbabwe, Barbara Groeblinghoff led us, as observers from Zimbabwe, India, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Kenya and Lebanon, through the history of South Africa and the issues in the elections.

Groeblinghoff said the election is not likely to be decided on issues, like nearly all African elections, emotions dominate over the real issues affecting the country.

The MDC in Zimbabwe, although disputing the poll results every time, have always lost the polls on the backdrop of Zanu PF invoking the memories of the bloody and protracted liberation struggle.

The rural populace was told that the MDC would bring back white colonial rule, reverse land reform and withdraw the presidential inputs scheme, which sees rural folks getting free seed and farming inputs from government.

Maimane in his speech hit another code; he went after Ramaphosa, who was once Jacob Zuma’s Vice-President and a long time ANC member.

“Do not be misled by people who have been part of this corruption for a long time and now all of a sudden they say they want to change. They get surprised at the levels of corruption in the country like they are seeing it for the first time. I always say a baby can’t change their own diapers, DA will change those diapers,” he said.

Mnangagwa, in government since 1980 and a trusted hand of ousted President Robert Mugabe, has been singing the same song, he is changing things in Zimbabwe and bringing a new dispensation. Chamisa says it is all fake.

“A dirty hand can’t wash itself, it is not a second republic it’s the first masquerading as the second republic,” Chamisa said.

There are similarities in the election and the history and messaging between Zimbabwe and South African politics, but in terms of campaign and the way the elections are held, they are worlds apart.

Walking through Rosebank, one might be forgiven to think that there are no elections in South Africa, business is normal and supporters are not forced to attend rallies nor bussed.

Political campaign posters are not put on private buildings, Kwinana tells me council by laws are punitive and hit hard on the political party coffers, if violated.

Violence is not part of the South African elections, there is peace and leaders of political parties do not even need to reign in their supporters, they mingle freely in their party regalia, which is not dished out for free.

Party supporters actually buy party colours and wear them in such a fashionable manner to make it trendy to belong to a political party.

Although geographically and historically close to each other, Zimbabwe and South Africa remain worlds apart.

BY RICHARD MUPONDE

A CHIPINGE man has been granted a protection order against his three sons and two grandchildren after they labelled his wife a witch.

Gilbert Sithole (66), of Marirangwe village under Chief Mutema, made the application before Chipinge magistrate Joshua Nembaware on Friday.

The magistrate granted the application and ordered both sides to keep peace with each other.

In his application, Sithole said his sons and grandchildren were harassing him and his wife.

“I am the applicant in this matter and the respondents are my sons and grandsons, namely Lazarus, Joseph, Taurai, Silas and Munyaradzi,” he said.

“The respondents insulted me and my wife with degrading and defamatory words and phrases. They also harass me and my wife. They have harvested our maize fields and took the maize without our consent.

“The respondents have also accused my wife of practising witchcraft. I am, therefore, applying for a protection order.”

However, his eldest son, Lazarus, opposed the application on behalf of the others, saying his father was not telling the truth that it was a traditional healer, who had accused his wife of being a witch.

“The respondents never at any time accused the applicant and his wife of practising witchcraft. It’s the applicant who instructed and accompanied respondents to a traditional healer so that the sickness of my wife is cured. To our surprise, the applicant is the very person who paid the traditional healer’s fees after carrying out the rituals,” Lazarus said.

“The outcome at the traditional healer clearly stated that the applicant’s wife was causing the sickness. The respondents never at any time harassed, shouted or accused the applicant’s wife of practising witchcraft.”

He said the application was a ploy by his father to evade the headman’s court order for his wife to respond to the witchcraft accusations.

“As for the maize, it was harvested by respondents as his children, as he was nursing his wife at hospital, after she claimed that she had drunk ground bottle filings to commit suicide when she heard of the traditional healer’s accusations,” Lazarus said.

“The maize had fallen down and monkeys and termites were destroying it and was never taken, but it’s at applicant’s homestead as per his instruction.”

By Staff Reporter

Invictus Energy Limited has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with local fertilizer maker, Sable Chemical Industries, to progress gas supply from the Cabora Bassa Project subject to commercial gas discovery being made.

Under the terms of the MoU, Sable would be contracted to take 13 billion cubic feet of gas per year, with an option to increase to 26 billion cubic feet.

The supply term of 20 years provides strong revenue visibility in the event that Cahora Bassa is transformed into a source of commercial gas supply.

Sable is the sole manufacturer of agriculture grade ammonium nitrate fertilizer in Zimbabwe and a potentially large gas consumer.

Under the MoU, Invictus and Sable have agreed to jointly work together and co-operate with regards to investigating the economic and commercial viability of supplying natural gas from the Cahora Bassa project to the Sable fertilizer plant, located near Kwekwe.

Invictus managing director Scott Macmillan said the offtake agreement was a positive development in terms of their company’s prospective earnings profile, and would also be a significant factor in making the company satisfactorily negotiate financing terms and make the project increasingly attractive for potential partners.

“Signing this MoU with Sable marks a significant milestone in our commercial negotiations as we look to progress the Cabora Bassa project,” he said in a release announcing the deal.
“Sable is the sole producer of nitrogenous fertilizer in Zimbabwe and a well-recognised brand in the country.

“We are proud to work with them to fulfil their ambition of becoming the preferred manufacturer and supplier of fertilizers and other chemical products in Africa.

“The potential gas supply of up to 70 million cubic feet per day for 20 years is a substantial volume, which will help underpin the development of any commercial gas discovery we make in the Cahora Bassa Project.”

Sable Chemicals was established in 1969 and currently operates a fertilizer manufacturing plant, which produces ammonium nitrate fertilizers from ammonia gas feedstock currently imported from South Africa.

It’s plant has capacity to produce 240 000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate yearly.

The potential future supply of gas by Invictus is also critical for Sable’s medium-term expansion programme aimed at increasing production to 600 000 tonnes of nitrogenous fertilizers.

BY SILAS NKALA

A LUPANE-BASED police officer, who was arrested for allegedly insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and calling on him to step down in favour of opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has filed an application for discharge at the police disciplinary court.

Taison Hove (29), arrested at Lupane business centre on January 3, is also alleged to have scoffed at the Zanu PF regalia saying it was only fit for people tending agricultural fields.

Hove’s lawyer, Bruce Masamvu said his client was summoned to appear before a Lupane magistrate early this year, but the matter is currently awaiting the National Prosecution Authority’s consent to begin trial.

Hove is also facing police disciplinary action, which has been ongoing since his arrest in January.

Yesterday, Masamvu said he had filed an application for discharge at the police disciplinary court on grounds that the charges violated his rights and lacked evidence.

In an application dated May 2, Hove submitted that he was charged with contravening section 35 of the schedule to the Police Act, Chapter 11:10, but he is denying the charge.
Proceedings have been ongoing before the disciplinary committee hearing officer.

Hove said, on the basis of his application and evidence led by the State witnesses during the hearing, it does not show that he committed the offence.

“The State has failed to establish a prima facie case against the accused person. The State has failed to adduce evidence upon which a reasonable court may convict the accused person. The State failed to prove an essential element of the offence. The State, at this stage — for this application to succeed, has failed to prove even just one element of the offence,” Hove submitted.

The disciplinary court presided over by a Superintendent Mudepfa, had gathered evidence-in-chief from Hlelenje Ncube, who told the disciplinary court that Hove saw a person wearing a Zanu PF T-shirt and said it must be worn at the farms and not in town.

“The accused also said the President is starving him,” Ncube said, indicating that Hove also insulted the President using unprintable words.

Other witnesses who testified against Hove were Innocent Mkhwananzi, Sibangani Silwangani and Tongai Tayisi, who echoed the same story that Hove insulted Mnangagwa.

Hove in his application said although all the witnesses pointed to the claim that he insulted Mnangagwa, all of them had different wording versions of the insults which they heard from him and they were not corroborating each other’s evidence.

“At the end, it is impossible for the court — based on the evidence so far put before it, to convict the accused person. In fact, as the matter stands right now, the accused needs not to say anything in his defence in order to be acquitted, because the State has completely failed to show that there is a prima facie case against the accused,” he submitted.
Masamvu said the ruling on the application will be made on Friday.

Allegations are that on January 3 this year, Hove was drinking beer with other patrons, when a certain man passed by putting on a Zanu PF T-shirt emblazoned with Mnangagwa’s picture.
When Hove saw the man, he allegedly said such clothing should only be worn by one going to tend to the fields.

He reportedly further said Mnangagwa had failed to run the country and, as such, he should hand over power to Chamisa.

“We are suffering because of ED Mnangagwa and we are paid money equivalent to US$100,” Hove is alleged to have said.

Some patrons then reported him to the police, leading to his arrest.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

DESTINY for Africa Network founder Obadiah Msindo has urged politicians to be accountable for their actions.

“Politicians should be accountable for their actions. We need politicians with a heart from both Zanu PF and MDC parties, and they should be accountable for their actions,” he said in Mutare yesterday.

“We need politicians with a heart and who come from the people. Just imagine during the January demonstrations, the country lost millions of dollars, and some were arrested because they started to be violent, burning tyres, cars and looting, we need to ask ourselves is this good for our society.”

Msindo, however, implored Zimbabweans to give President Emmerson Mnangagwa a chance to implement his policies to turn around the country’s economy.

Msindo made the call when he met local pastors, civil society leaders and various business stakeholders in Mutare on Sunday.

“We are saying that let’s give President Emmerson Mnangagwa a chance,” Msindo said.

“Let us give him the chance to implement his policies. Soon after elections last year, we saw some people going to the streets demonstrating against the President without even giving him a chance to implement his policies.”

Msindo’s call comes at a time many people, some within the ruling Zanu PF, are growing frustrated by Mnangagwa’s rule that has been characterised by ballooning economic hardships.

The MDC has accused Mnangagwa’s government of being clueless on how to handle the economy, which is on a free-fall.

But Msindo accused businesses of sabotaging government due to its insatiable desire to make profits.

He blasted business entities, urging them to stop profiteering, a practice which he said was killing Zimbabweans emotionally.

“The business of profiteering shows heartlessness; businesspeople should always demonstrate the love of people, … (but) they can even kill for the love of money, they are emotionally murdering people,” Msindo said.

“Some businesspeople are just increasing prices without justification and that is not good at all.”

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

ZIMPOST is working on extending its money transfer service, Zipcash, onto the mobile platform in a bid to boost traffic and increase revenue, acting managing director Sifundo Moyo has said.

Zipcash is a low-cost money transfer service that allows customers to send or receive money locally and internationally through the postal network.

“Zipcash is a product which largely depends on the availability of cash and you are aware the country has been having liquidity challenges,” Moyo told NewsDay Business. “And because of that, Zipcash has also seen a slump and again in line with the technological advancements that are happening around, we are working on extending the Zipcash service onto the mobile platform so that people can transact using their mobile phones — to both send and receive money on that platform.”

Currently, the company is carrying out transactions using Zipcash with countries such as Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania. Zimpost is also an agent for other international money transfer partners such as Mukuru, World Remit, Money Gram, Hello Paisa and Western Union. Meanwhile, Moyo said their e-commerce service was still performing below standard due to the current liquidity challenges.

“So far, the uptake is still low because we had issues to do with currency challenges, where items were priced in United States dollars and people wanted to pay in Real Time Gross Settlement dollars, but now that the monetary policy statement has come out to clearly differentiate the rates between the two currencies, it’s now easier for the sellers as well as the buyers,” he said.

The platform allows buyers and sellers to interact and do business online.

“We are currently recruiting e-sellers and what we want to do is to make sure that people find the convenience of looking for whatever they want from that webpage and if they get it, they place an order and make a payment. Everything being done at the same go and then as Zimpost we deliver.”

On the financial services side, Moyo said Zimpost had a major role to play in financial inclusion. This will be done in terms of the central bank’s financial inclusion strategy, set to run from 2016 to 2020.

Moyo added that Zimpost had been an agent for one insurance company and in 2018, they introduced their own house brands under the post insurance brand.

The brands are underwritten by NicozDiamond.

“Now we are happy that the Insurance and Pensions Commission has given us a multiple insurance agency licence. This licence means we can now transact on behalf of all the insurance companies in the country,” Moyo said. “What that means is that Zimbabweans at large are going to enjoy a lot of convenience. They can walk into any post office hall and demand that they be given any insurance product from an insurance company of their choice. This has not happened before and as we say, at Zimpost, we are delivering possibilities. We want to make sure that our institution remains relevant in the communities where we work.”

Editorial Comment

HWANGE has yet again been dragged back into the red with weak corporate governance, political interference and outright corruption undoing much of the work that had been put in to turn around the coal miner.

The company’s recently-released financial statements show that Hwange racked up US$78,5 million in after-tax losses in the year-ended December 2018, from US$43,8 million in the previous year as the coal miner failed to meet market demand and contain rising input costs.

The company’s monthly production average was 150 000 tonnes, compared to the budgeted monthly production of 300 000 tonnes and as a result, total sales tonnage was 1,5 million tonnes against a budget of 3,5 million tonnes.

As at December 2018, the company’s total liabilities exceeded total assets, with a negative equity position of US$290 million from US$211,5 million in 2017, attributable to recurring losses which continue to erode capital and reserves.

The company is in a precarious position and all the hope that the company could still be saved after creditors agreed to a Scheme of Arrangement in 2017 has since been lost.

The company is under reconstruction and has since been suspended from trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

A number of high-profile individuals, including parliamentarians, Mines minister Winston Chitando, who has previously served as chair of the Hwange board, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi as well as President Emmerson Mnangagwa have all been fingered in the ongoing mess at the company, but in typical Zanu PF fashion, none of them has thought it necessary to exonerate themselves.

If the government is sincere about changing the business environment, heads are supposed to roll. Such a culture of impunity should never go unpunished.

The strategic importance of Hwange to industry and the country at large does not require overstating.

Hwange is too big an institution to be allowed to fail at the hands of a few well-connected individuals.

Given previous failed efforts to try to resuscitate the company, which saw government pumping in a $111 million loan, it will not be easy for Hwange to convince any banks or shareholders to invest any additional funding, but Hwange still has a valuable resource which, if extracted profitably, will go a long way in turning around the fortunes of the
country.

Stephen Chadenga

The Midlands State University Language Institute (MSULI) will soon conduct sign language lectures for doctors, nurses and police officers in the Midlands province to help better serve the hearing impaired citizens, an official has said.

MSULI acting director Wiseman Magwa said the institution had been tasked by government to offer such training in the province and later to other parts of the country.

“We have so far been asked to offer sign language training to all nurses, doctors and police officers in the Midlands province,” Magwa said on Monday at the official commissioning of the institute.

“So, very soon we will be rolling out the programme where we are going to offer short courses in sign language to nurses, doctors and police officers in the Midlands community.”

According to the World Deaf Federation, an estimated 80 000 people in Zimbabwe live with hearing impairments, with the majority failing to access essential services.

Magwa said MSULI’s vision was to be a one-stop world class language consultancy and support services centre, dedicated to the advancement of language research, policy, planning, translating, interpreting and editing.

MSULI has already established partnerships with the Justice and Health ministries, as well as with the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference and Zimbabwe Gender Commission for the translation of various documents into local languages.

MSULI said the institute started as a project in 2018 meant to translate the Constitution of Zimbabwe into 16 officially recognised languages, but was now a fully-fledged institution.

“Soon after its (MSULI) establishment by Senate on October 2, 2018, the vice-chancellor then (Ngwabi Bhebhe) approved the appointment of an acting director, administrative assistant, secretary and 10 language researchers for the year 2019,” he said.

Magwa said seven posts for researchers had so far been filled, with the remainder expected to be appointed by end of the year.

He added that to date, the institute had translated the MSU code of conduct and grievances procedures into Shona, Ndebele and Braille, including brailing important health information for the benefit of the visually-mpaired university students. MSU vice-chancellor, Victor Muzvidziwa said meaningful development could only be realised if the country valued its national languages.

“The French, Germans, Russians, British, Americans, Portuguese, Japanese…. and many other countries have all based their industrial and economic development on the strength of their own languages,” Muzvidziwa said.

He said the recognition of national languages was a key component in building unity, peace and development in the country.

Among other services that the MSULI would offer include brailing services, developing orthographies for indigenous languages, dictionary making, beginners’ courses in indigenous languages, sign language interpretation, translation as well as other language consultancy services. In 2015, the Health ministry, through the Dr Timothy Stamps Trust for Chronic Conditions, embarked on a pilot project to teach sign language to 30 nurses at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

Although the then Health minister, David Parirenyatwa said the programme would cascade to other parts of the country, it (programme) suffered a stillbirth.

BY TENDAI SAUTA

ZIMBABWE Music Rights Association (Zimura) director Polisile Ncube yesterday said many local artistes were not fully conversant with the provisions of copyright law, and music publishers took advantage of that loophole to cream them off.

Ncube told NewsDay Life & Style, that artistes should approach their offices to seek legal counsel before signing contracts.

“The challenges related to right holders, who are members and non-members (of Zimura), are that of ignorance of their rights as provided for in the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, Chapter 26:05. Some music composers sign contracts that are prejudicial to them with publishers and entertainment venue owners, and only realise it when it’s too late,” she said.

Ncube said copyright violations were a cancer that has eaten into the arts sector, in particular, and the economy in general.

She said although Zimura had carried out campaigns to curb the vice, the interpretation and implementation of the law has often posed serious challenges.

“We have conducted raids in different provinces, with various stakeholders. However, what remains a challenge is the interpretation and implementation of the Copyright Act by the law enforcement agents like the police and the judiciary so that deterrent penalties and fines are instituted to infringers of the copyright (law),” she said.

Ignorance of the copyright law by the law enforcement agents, Ncube said, was another problem that needed to be dealt with.

“Copyright infringement is both a criminal and civil offense. Some of the public music users pay when we institute legal action against them,” she said, adding that Zimura conducted copyright capacity building workshops for both their members and law enforcement agents regularly.

Ncube was hopeful that the ongoing harmonisation of laws which were out of sync with the Constitution would create an environment in which artistes could benefit from their works.

“At the moment, the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act needs some improvement in terms of specific charges and penalties, so that they become more deterrent in order to discourage copyright infringement,” she said.

Ncube, whose association is responsible for collecting royalties from broadcasters on behalf of musicians, said another challenge was failure by broadcasters to pay on time.

“The major users of music, like broadcasters, are not paying for the music copyright licenses on time and inflation has negatively impacted Zimura’s operations,” she said.

Gold panners going down the same mineshaft to look for their colleagues still believed to be trapped underground at Nugget Mine, in Matobo

BY RICHARD MUPONDE

FIVE people have been confirmed dead, while eight others are feared to have also perished when a mineshaft which was at the centre of a gun battle pitting a well-known gold baron from Esigodini, Baron Dube, collapsed in Matopo on Monday.

The five met their demise after they were crushed to death by boulders while digging for gold at Deep Stream 7 Mine, which is part of Nugget Mine, about 25km from Bulawayo.

There were reports of a gold war on Sunday night involving Dube and another Matopo gold baron, Madodana Moyo, over the gold-rich claim which left the pair hospitalised at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH).

Gunshots were reportedly fired during the scuffle that left the pair nursing axe and stab wounds.

After the war involving rival gangs, a scramble for the pit by illegal miners ensued, with some said to be coming from as far afield as Kwekwe, Zvishavane, Filabusi and Matobo, leading to the collapse of the shaft.

Four people escaped death by whisker — one of them unscathed — while three others are said to be nursing injuries at UBH, where the bodies of the deceased were also conveyed.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the deaths.

“Although I am not privy to the gun battle, I can confirm that there has been a mine accident at Nugget Mine in Matopo, which is a disused mine where five artisanal miners were killed after a shaft they were mining in collapsed. Their bodies were conveyed to UBH. Four escaped with injuries. As I speak, the Matabeleland Civil Protection Unit is at the scene,” said Nyathi.

When Southern Eye arrived at the scene yesterday, the Matabeleland Civil Protection Unit was on the ground, making frantic efforts to locate the eight people suspected to be trapped underground.

Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs minister Abednico Ncube and his entourage, also arrived at the scene during the rescuing operations and ordered the police to seal off the area.

“We know gold panners are looking for money, but that should be done lawfully. I urge you Propol (Officer commanding the province Commissioner Partson Nyabadza) to deploy your team here to ensure that the law is observed. The Environmental Management Agency should also do the same. That way, we would avoid such a disaster,” Ncube said.

A source close to the issue said Nugget Mine was, on Sunday night, a battle ground as gangs fought for the gold-rich claim, with Dube and Moyo leading the pack.

Dube is no stranger to gold wars, which have become rife in the region.

He is currently on $2 000 bail pending trial at the High Court for allegedly shooting and killing a member of a rival mining gang, Antony Bvundura, in October last year in a fight over a mining claim in Esigodini.

In 2016, Dube and another gold baron, Mthulisi Ngwenya, were involved in a seven-hour fight for control of gold claims in the district.

Dube is said to lead a group of panners from Filabusi who operate in Esigodini.

Meanwhile, two other illegal gold panners were crushed to death after a mineshaft they were working on collapsed in Colleen Bawn in Gwanda on Sunday.

Nyathi said their bodies were retrieved and conveyed to Gwanda Distrcit Hospital.

“The incident happaned at Deep Stream 7 Mine in Colleen Bawn on May 4, when two gold panners were digging for gold and the soil above them carved in, and they were crushed to death,” he said.