Johannes Chin’ombe
GWERU – Reden Mine management on Sunday snubbed a ministerial visit by the Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Larry Mavhima and the Minister of Mines, Winston Chitando which was meant to establish circumstances that led to the mine manager shooting two employees in an altercation over salaries.
The nation was last week left in shock after Zhang Xuelin (41) opened fire on his workers for demanding their dues in US dollars as promised; an incident which left Kenneth Tachiona (39) seriously injured and is recovering at Midlands Private Hospital.
The other victim Wendy Chikwaira (31) has since been discharged and recuperating from home.
Minister Mavhima is on record saying the people in charge have chosen to ignore the visit on excuse that he is busy with other commitments.
Minister Mavhima further equated the shooting incident to cases of machete wielding gangs that are known to resolving disputes through bloody fights.
“It is regrettable that we have encountered this in our province and more to it the person in charge says he is busy to come and attend to us. Such incidences are not different to those of machete wielding gangs and we will not tolerate such here,” Mavima said.
Minister Chitando also cited that absence of an interpreter has affected their mission towards establishing circumstances leading to the shooting.
He however encouraged all mining operations to adhere to the law while describing the shoot out as sad.
“We could not establish anything due to absence of an interpreter as the guys present here cannot understand a word in English. Alas, we urge all mining developments in Zimbabwe to be guided legally in resolving issues and outside this incident; mines should be able to work under traceable boundaries of the law which include environmental and labor laws,” Chitando said.
Xuelin is currently on remand at Whawha prison awaiting provision of an interpreter and is facing attempted murder charges.
