By Rudo Saungweme  

Government has taken steps to address the machete menace being perpetuated by illegal miners in mining areas following a meeting with relevant stakeholders who included the Police and officials from the mining sector.

Tweeting on their Twitter handle yesterday, Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services posted that Government held a meeting with the police to resolve the matter.

“A high powered meeting was held between the Minister of Home Affairs, the Police Command as well as senior officers from the Ministry of Mines on the machete menace among artisanal miners. Resources will be availed to the security services to bring back sanity in the sector,” tweeted the ministry.

Zimbabwe citizens applauded the Government for this move indicating that these machete crimes must be dealt with accordingly as illegal miners had become a law unto themselves.

“Thank you Minister Kazembe Kazembe for ensuring this heinous crime is stopped fast and permanently. On resources, please consider using the army to root out all machete murderers,” tweeted Tinofa Mutevedzi.

Another netizen Tadiwa Mutasa tweeted that all security apparatus must participate in dealing with these illegal miners since they are very hostile by nature and pose a threat to peace and security.

Speaking during a Youth Indaba rally held in Kadoma last week, the Minister of State for Mashonaland West Province, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka lamented over the behaviour of these illegal miners and said that even the police are sometimes overwhelmed by them.

These illegal miners who are commonly known as “amaShurugwi” have left people living in fear as they rape women and slaughter resident`s livestock while conducting illegal mining activities.

This timely move by Government will comes as a relief to communities where these illegal miners are prying their trade as peace and harmony would be restored.