Sons of Ex-ZANU PF councillor embroiled in violent robbery cases
By Dumisani Ndlovu
A wave of violent robbery has swept through Zimbabwe’s gold mining sector, leaving a trail of serious injuries.
The latest incident involves Nyasha Osward Simbi and Alex Simbi, sons of Charles Simbi, a prominent former ZANU PF councillor and losing parliamentary candidate. Alongside five others, they faced serious charges in the Gweru Regional Magistrate Court on February 11, 2025.
The group is accused of two counts of robbery and assault, with incidents occurring on February 8, 2025. On the first count, the seven accused persons allegedly assaulted Shepard Kutse, inflicting serious injuries by attacking him with machetes all over his body. They then robbed him of his Samsung S33 cellphone. Kutse sustained serious injuries during the attack.
On the second count, the gang allegedly attacked Norman Mahlani using a machete and a pistol, robbing him of a Samsung S23 cellphone. In a third incident, the gang allegedly threatened and assaulted Stephen Ndlovu, who managed to flee the scene.
The accused are facing serious charges, with the total value of stolen items estimated at US$743.
Gweru Regional Magistrate, Christopher Maturure remanded the gang in custody pending identification parade and further investigations by police.
This incident has sparked widespread concern about the safety and security of miners in the Midlands Province.
The violence in Zimbabwe’s gold mining sector is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of a larger problem – a flawed centralized gold buying scheme, a patronage-based economy, and an obsolete legal and regulatory system.
To address the issue, the Zimbabwe government should consider giving artisanal mining cooperatives legal standing, paying gold producers at world prices, improving mining dispute resolution, and bolstering law enforcement.
One Gweru prominent lawyer who declined to be identified said parliament should resume its investigation into gold-sector violence, which was halted due to COVID-19, and widen its focus to include possibly complicit politicians.
The lawyer representing the accused, Esau Mandipa, expressed concern over the identification parade, alleging that it was compromised since his clients were photographed at the police station. The court advised the state to investigate the matter.
The case against the Simbi brothers and their accomplices is a test of the government’s commitment to addressing the underlying issues driving the violence in Zimbabwe’s gold mining sector. The next hearing is scheduled for February 25.
High Court Judge Justice Bongani Ndlovu recently sounded the alarm on the rising murder cases in Midlands Province, warning that it risks becoming the “murder capital” of Zimbabwe if urgent action is not taken.
Speaking during the Gweru High Court circuit, Justice Ndlovu emphasized the need for swift intervention to curb the growing trend of violence in Midlands Province.
