MAZOWE,
Zimbabwe
–
A
security
guard
is
battling
for
his
life
after
being
brutally
assaulted
at
a
Mazowe
mining
site,
allegedly
by
former
President
Robert
Mugabe’s
son,
Bellarmine
Chatunga,
and
a
group
of
men
wielding
AK-47
assault
rifles.
Tensions
erupted
on
Wednesday
around
4PM
when
Chatunga
reportedly
led
a
heavily
armed
team
into
the
Ultimate
Mining
concession,
which
borders
Grace
Mugabe’s
farm,
accusing
the
Ultimate
Mining
concession
staff
of
harbouring
trespassers
who
were
repeatedly
making
forays
into
his
mother’s
property.
“We
were
told
our
crime
was
allowing
illegal
gold
panners
to
trespass
on
their
land,”
said
one
of
the
victims
who
asked
not
to
be
named
fearing
reprisal.
The
clash
was
reportedly
sparked
when
trespassers
at
the
Mugabe
estate
fled
into
Ultimate
Mining
grounds.
The
assailants
accused
the
mine
security
of
failing
to
act
on
the
breaches
—
an
alleged
inaction
that
reportedly
angered
Chatunga
and
preceded
the
assault.
“The
next
thing
we
saw
were
men
brandishing
AK-47s,
and
Chatunga
among
them.
Our
security
guard
was
suddenly
attacked
by
Chatunga
himself,
who
shouted,
‘wasiirei
vanhu
vachipinda
mumunda
wapresident
chaivo?!’
(Why
did
you
allow
people
to
enter
the
real
president’s
land?),”
said
a
mine
official
who
requested
anonymity.
At
least
three
workers
were
seriously
injured,
suffering
fractures
to
the
skull,
ribs,
cheekbone,
and
limbs,
according
to
medical
reports
and
X-rays
seen
by
ZimLive.
Amid
the
chaos,
there
was
accidental
firearm
discharge.
A
supervisor
who
rushed
in
to
diffuse
the
situation,
was
allegedly
caught
in
the
crossfire
and
assaulted,
along
with
two
other
staffers
identified
as
Chipara,
Muchemwa
and
the
security
guard
Elvis
Bvumbwe.
“I
tried
to
reason
with
them,
but
they
accused
me
of
hiring
thugs
to
attack
them,”
said
the
supervisor,
who
showed
hospital
scans
of
fractured
cheekbone
and
broken
nose
during
an
interview
with
ZimLive.
The
victims
say
they
were
frogmarched
nearly
200
meters
into
the
Mugabe
compound,
doused
with
water,
and
repeatedly
beaten
with
logs
and
metal
rods.
Bvumbwe,
one
of
the
most
seriously
injured,
sustained
multiple
fractures
while
attempting
to
shield
himself,
doctors
noted.
…
An
X-Ray
exam
showed
one
of
the
victims
of
the
attack
with
broken
bone
An
affidavit
from
Dr
Motto
Hope
of
Parirenyatwa
Hospital,
provided
at
the
request
of
Mazowe
Police,
confirmed
Bvumbwe
suffered
a
fractured
left
ulna
bone
and
severe
bruising
caused
by
both
sharp
and
blunt
trauma,
with
injuries
classified
as
severe
and
potentially
permanent.
The
formal
police
request
for
medical
examination
sent
to
Parirenyatwa
Hospital,
read:
“Would
you
please
have
this
person
examined
by
a
medical
practitioner
and
the
appropriate
medical
examination
report
form
completed.”
The
statement
added:
“Patient
was
assaulted
all
over
the
body
and
sustained
[injuries]
on
the
head,
back
and
left
hand…
requesting
for
a
medical
affidavit.”
Last
Dube,
an
Ultimate
Mine
employee
who
accompanied
the
victims
to
the
hospital
said:
“I
escorted
the
police
to
the
scene
after
making
the
report.
The
officers
saw
that
the
victims
were
soaked
in
blood
and
visibly
weak.
They
said
given
their
condition,
it
was
better
we
prioritised
medical
attention
because
if
we
take
them
straight
to
the
police
station
they
might
die
there.”
Dube
said
the
victims
were
wheeled
into
Parirenyatwa
Hospital
because
they
were
unable
to
walk.
Despite
this,
witnesses
said
Chatunga
remained
defiant
even
at
the
Mazowe
Police
Station.
“If
(President)
Mnangagwa
hears
I’m
at
Mazowe
Police,
everyone
here
will
be
fired,”
he
allegedly
said,
prompting
the
officer-in-charge
to
retreat
to
his
vehicle.
Chatunga
then
reportedly
drove
off
without
being
detained.
Medical
bills
for
the
injured
have
already
surpassed
US$2,000,
according
to
Ultimate
Mine
General
Manager
Joel
Mushoriwa,
who
says
staff
are
traumatised
and
living
in
fear.
“We
are
deeply
saddened
by
these
events.
The
injuries
are
severe,
and
so
far
we’ve
incurred
over
US$2,000
just
for
initial
check-ups.
We’re
hoping
the
law
takes
its
course,
but
it’s
difficult
when
the
person
involved
claims
to
be
untouchable,”
Mushoriwa
said.
The
case
was
officially
logged
under
Report
Received
Book
(RRB)
Number
6347367
at
Mazowe
Police
Station.
Efforts
to
get
a
comment
from
police
spokesperson
Paul
Nyathi
were
unsuccessful
at
the
time
of
publication.