[ad_1]
Imagine a man dressed in the distinctive green uniform of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), standing between three other prisoners in pure white uniforms.
The prison officer was supposed to be supervising the prisoners and making sure they were taking care of the prison’s livestock. Instead, he joined them in the clandestine gold mining operation.
The case occurred when a Zambian police officer stationed at Gwanda Prison in Matabeleland South province got into trouble after he allegedly conspired with inmates responsible for herding the prison’s cattle and sheep to illegally mine for gold in a mining area at Blanket Mine.
Moeti Tlou (23) reportedly teamed up with Bee Bright Ncube (21), who is serving a three-year sentence, Michael Moyo (31), who is serving a two-year sentence, and Aaron Moyo (40), to steal gold ore from Abercom Mine, which belongs to Blanket Mine.
The matter came to light when the four men, accused of stealing gold ore, appeared before Magistrate Talent Phiri in Gwanda. They pleaded not guilty to the offence and were remanded in custody until August 23 for further hearing.
It is alleged that at about 8am on August 15, 2024, Ncube, Michael and Aaron, who are serving sentences in Gwanda Prison, took 52 herds of cattle to a ranch near Abercom mine, which belongs to Blanket mine.
It is understood that Tlou, who was wearing a Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services uniform, followed the trio and was armed with two shovels, two iron rods and a pickaxe.
They reached the top of a hill inside the Abercorn mine, where Tlou sat on a rock and the three began digging for gold ore, which they packed into three 50-kilogram bags of cement.
Their luck ran out when security guards on routine patrol at the mine spotted them busy at the site. The guards managed to arrest Tlou and Ncube, while Michael and Aaron escaped. They seized two shovels, two iron rods and a pickaxe used by the accused, as well as three 50kg cement bags, each containing 10kg of gold ore.
Michael and Aaron were subsequently arrested by police after returning to Gwanda Prison.
Related
[ad_2]
Source link
