A wave of terror has gripped the mining community of Inyathi in Matabeleland North province, as a 12-strong machete gang, armed with axes and machetes, wreaked havoc, robbing four people and brutally gang-raping a woman after her husband fled the scene.
The incident occurred on 13 August and has prompted a full-scale manhunt by the police. The suspects, whose identities remain unknown, targeted mining compounds, demanding cash and terrorising residents.
Two of the victims, a couple, were attacked in their home at Robert Block 2 Mine. The woman was allegedly gang-raped after her husband fled to seek help.
“Circumstances are that on 13 August around 11:30pm at Robert Block 2 Mine, complainant 1 was asleep with her daughter when 12 unknown men knocked at their door looking for mbanje and complainant told them she did not sell mbanje. Five of the suspects forcibly entered the room by breaking the door using an axe and demanded cash,” said Inspector Glory Banda, police spokesperson for Matabeleland North.
The gang, wielding machetes, demanded money from the terrified woman, who handed over US$350. However, their brutality did not end there. One of the suspects struck her on the forehead and left palm, demanding more money. The gang then ransacked the room, taking two cellphones and R2 000 before vanishing into the darkness.
Undeterred, the gang moved to Zoo B Mine, located just 300 metres away. They split into two groups, with one group attacking the second complainant with a machete after breaking down the door with an axe. The victim collapsed and lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, the other group targeted another room where a couple was sleeping. They broke down the door with an axe and assaulted the husband with a machete. The terrified man fled, leaving his wife behind, to seek help from a security guard 100 metres away.
The gang demanded cash from the woman, taking US$90 and 5 grams of gold. They then subjected her to a horrific ordeal, three of them assaulting her with machetes before taking turns to rape her. The woman’s husband returned with an armed security guard, who fired a warning shot into the air, forcing the gang to flee into the darkness.
A report was immediately filed with the police. One of the complainants sustained a cut on the forehead and was taken to Inyathi District Hospital, while another was transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital with a deep cut on the head. The other complainant was treated and discharged with a cut on the forehead at Inyathi Hospital, while the rape victim complained of pain in her neck and whole body.
Inspector Banda confirmed that the suspects face charges of robbery, attempted murder, and rape. He added that investigations are ongoing, and the police are determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.
