GWERU – A mining syndicate, with strong links to unmentioned senior Zanu PF officials, Husaviwevhu Mining Syndicate, has reportedly defied a High Court order to stop mining activities at the site of a legally registered mining company, Southern Eye has learnt. STEPHEN CHADENGA, OWN CORRESPONDENT
The mining site is Nash 2 Milling site, located on claim IXL, Impaluli Farm in Shurugwi district.
Documents, indicate that the long dispute between Husaviwevhu Mining Syndicate and Slashwood Mining (Pvt) Ltd has spilled to the courts, amid allegations of verbal threats from members of the former against the latter.
Slashwood Mining, which owns six gold milling sites located in Odzi, Sanyati, Gweru, Masvingo and Shurugwi, is the legal holder of the disputed site and a letter to the chief mining commissioner shows how they acquired the sites.
The said milling sites were jointly acquired on January 5 from Fidelity Printers through a tender system.
“Each site was purchased through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) with its assets, both movable and immovable for a price of $2,45 million inclusive of VAT (value added tax),” part of the letter dated March 27 2013, copied to the Mines minister and Office of the President’s economic department, read.
In July this year, High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha granted a provisional order under case number HC 1729/13 barring Husaviwevhu Mining Syndicate from carrying out mining activities at the disputed site.
“The first respondent (Husaviwevhu) and all those claiming through it, be and are hereby ordered to stop all the mining activities on North Imaluli Farm 72 immediately failing of which the deputy sheriff, Bulawayo, with the assistance of the members of Zimbabwe Republic Police be ordered to stop the first respondent and all those claiming through it from carrying out mining activities on North Impaluli 72 immediately,” part of the provisional order dated July 17, reads.
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But last Sunday, five workers from Husaviwevhu Mining Syndicate were arrested at the mining site, Slashwood Mining (Pvt) Ltd legal and corporate affairs manager Advocate Nsikelelo Mafa Moyo confirmed. However, the five are said to have been released before they even appeared in court.
“The public prosecutor said the five should be released and should not be charged as individuals. I believe such behaviour is abuse of office and tantamount to corruption,” Moyo said.
Moyo alleged that he had received verbal threats from one of the members of Husaviwevhu, saying he now feared for his life.
“I have received verbal threats from (name withheld) and he said he was in the trenches, in the bush fighting for this country and mentioned unspecified action against me,” he said.
Moyo said members of Husaviwevhu mentioned to him that they had strong links to senior Zanu PF officials and that nothing could be done to them.
Several documents given to Southern Eye show confirmation of legal ownership of the disputed site by Slashwood. Efforts to get a comment from Husaviwevhu were fruitless.
