In a shocking turn of events, a senior police officer has been arrested and denied bail after allegedly leading a group of artisanal miners into a protected mine and fleeing when security guards opened fire.
Assistant Inspector Jefenias Muzambani (44), a member of the Shurugwi CID, is facing charges of Criminal Abuse of Office as a Public Officer, as defined in Section 174 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23].
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, 10 August, around 10:30 am at Musengezi Farm, Surprise area in Shurugwi, has raised serious concerns about the conduct of law enforcement officers and the escalating tensions surrounding artisanal mining in the region.
The mine in question is under dispute between two rival mining companies, Eden Treasure, led by Allan Sibanda, and DSG, represented by Sonai Musengezi. The mine is protected by Rudloy Security guards, who are tasked with preventing unauthorised access and ensuring the safety of the site.
According to the prosecution, Muzambani, who was off duty at the time of the incident, allegedly led a group of artisanal miners into the protected mine, ignoring the presence of the security guards.
The miners, emboldened by the presence of the police officer, began extracting gold ore, much to the dismay of other artisanal miners who had been denied access to the mine. The situation escalated when the other miners, angered by the perceived preferential treatment given to Muzambani’s group, vandalised the mine’s security fence and also began mining in the pit.
The security guards, fearing for their safety, discharged their firearms, injuring six illegal miners. Muzambani, who was in the pit at the time, fled the scene along with the other miners, leaving behind the injured and the discharged firearms.
“The accused person then disappeared from the scene with other illegal miners with extracted gold ore and went on to process it without arresting the security guards who had opened fire or even recovering the firearms…,” said Prosecutor Kwanele Njini.
Muzambani was later arrested and found in possession of 6.5 grams of processed gold. He was subsequently denied bail by Magistrate Percy Mukumba and remanded in custody.
The prosecution argued that Muzambani, as a police officer, had a duty to investigate the incident, record statements, and recover the discharged firearms. Instead, he allegedly chose to participate in the illegal mining activities and fled the scene when the situation became volatile.
