By Staff Reporter
Mazowe, Zimbabwe – A security guard is in critical condition following a violent assault at a mining site in Mazowe, allegedly involving Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the son of the late former President Robert Mugabe, and a group of armed men wielding AK-47 rifles.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at approximately 4PM, when Chatunga is reported to have led a heavily armed group into the premises of Ultimate Mining, a concession bordering the property of his mother, Grace Mugabe.
The group allegedly accused the mine’s personnel of allowing repeated incursions by illegal gold panners into the Mugabe estate.
“We were told our crime was allowing illegal gold panners to trespass on their land,” said one of the victims, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals.
According to accounts from mine officials, the confrontation began when a group of suspected illegal miners fled from the Mugabe property and sought refuge on the adjacent mining site. The mine’s security personnel were accused of inaction, a grievance that allegedly prompted Chatunga’s armed response.
“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 also requested anonymity.
Medical records and X-rays confirm that at least three workers sustained serious injuries, including skull, rib, cheekbone, and limb fractures.
During the melee, there was an alleged accidental discharge of a firearm.
A supervisor who attempted to intervene was reportedly caught in the crossfire and physically assaulted, along with three other staff members: Chipara, Muchemwa, and security guard Elvis Bvumbwe.
“I tried to reason with them, but they accused me of hiring thugs to attack them,” said the supervisor, who provided medical scans showing a fractured cheekbone and broken nose.
Witnesses claim that the victims were forcibly marched nearly 200 metres into the Mugabe family compound, where they were drenched with water and subjected to repeated beatings using metal rods and wooden logs.
Bvumbwe reportedly sustained multiple fractures while attempting to shield himself from the assault.
Police are yet to comment on the incident, and it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made.
The attack has raised concerns over the rule of law and the unchecked use of force in disputes involving politically connected individuals.
