Magistrate to appear in court for illegal gold panning

Magistrate to appear in court for illegal gold panning

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By Staff Reporter

A HARARE magistrate and seven other people will appear in court before the end of this week for allegedly prospecting for gold without a permit, reports said.

The magistrate, who borrowed a friend’s car to go on an illegal gold panning mission in Mhangura, was arrested at the weekend.

He is reported to have run away from the police who pursued him for about eight kilometres before finally catching him. He was arrested together with seven other suspects.

The arrests were made when a team of plainclothes police officers visited the area to assess the situation prior to a raid.

It is alleged that four officers approached the magistrate and started chatting with him, pretending to be gold dealers.

While discussing strategies to evade police - who are currently conducting Operation Chikorokoza Chapera/Isitsheketsha Sesiphelile to clamp down on illegal mining activities - a group of uniformed officers suddenly appeared.

"The magistrate, who was holding a panning rod, a pick and had folded his trousers knee-high, dropped the equipment at the sight of the police officers and took to his heels," police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka said.

"The magistrate and seven others are all being charged under Section 392 (A) as read with Section 392 of the Mines and Minerals Act Chapter 21:05. This means they were prospecting for gold without a permit," he said.

Mandipaka said the suspects were expected to appear in court this week.

He said since the commencement of Operation Chikorokoza Chapera last November, police had arrested 31 509 people who were found panning for gold without permits. - Sapa
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