By Cosmas Sunguro.
Mining in Chiadzwa remains a curse to many villagers as a bizarre incident occurred where a mining security guard for the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) shot a Chiadzwa villager under the pretext that he was a gweja (artisanal miner) and sustained leg injuries.
On the 2nd of October 2018, gun shots were heard near the main road towards the ZCDC workshop. The security guard stopped a white Mitsubishi truck that he suspected was carrying gwejas who disappeared into the forest nearby.
Coincidentally, during the case he met Danmore Rukombo (32) and an accomplice only identified as Chiadzwa, who were looking for their livestock and he mistakenly thought he had found the gwejas who were on the run.
The security guard started firing live rounds missing Rukombo three times only to shoot him with the fourth bullet which ripped through his lower limb.
The two security guards fled from the scene as they thought they had killed someone as they saw the lying with a pool of blood said an eye witness.
Danmore was quickly carried to a nearby ZCDC clinic and was later transferred to Mutambara Mission Hospital where he was attended to upon obtaining a police report from Bambazonke police station in Marange.
“His Friends and relatives had to raise funds for hospital bill and the company contributed nothing”, said Chiadzwa.
“The victim is in excruciating pain while the known perpetrator (security guard) is walking Scot free. As ZIDAWU we are making a follow up on the case with much interest as we want to have a repeat of last year when another security guard was just transferred to cover up for a murder case” he added.
Rukombo is a father of two kids and the bread winner. His leg is still swollen and needs further treatment to assess the gravity of the shot which may have hit his bone.
Efforts to contact ZCDC officials was fruitless at the time the article was published.
