A 30-year-old man was brutally attacked with an axe at Turk Mine in Inyathi last Thursday by known assailants.
The family of the victim, Ishmael Maluzo Sibanda, is demanding justice, frustrated by the police’s failure to arrest the perpetrators, who are reportedly well-known in the area.
In an interview with CITE, Sibanda recounted the horrific incident, stating two men, armed with axes and a machete, attacked him around 6 pm. while he was working at the mine.
“These men axed me, and I am still in shock,” Sibanda said.
“I was with my workmates, the manager, and the sponsor’s team, who were pounding our stock. Two of the sponsor’s bouncers appeared and passed by me and a colleague. They spoke briefly with one of the workers, and suddenly, one of the bouncers, who was wearing a balaclava, raised an axe and aimed for my neck. I ducked, but the other attacker, whose face was uncovered, struck my ankle. The one with the balaclava then chopped my hand, severing three fingers.”
Sibanda described how no one intervened as the two men continued attacking him, and even threatened the manager with violence when he attempted to approach them.
“After a while, the mine manager told them to leave me alone, seeing I was badly hurt. When he tried to come closer, my attackers threatened to axe him as well if he came closer. The two men continued attacking me until the one without the balaclava told his accomplice that they had done enough, and that’s how they left.”
Sibanda said after the attackers left, the manager informed his bosses, who, however, did not come to the scene.
After the attack, Sibanda was rushed to Inyathi Police Station and later referred to Mpilo Hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
Sibanda believes the attack was fueled by a grudge held by the sponsor of the mine, who had become hostile towards him after he refused to participate in a scheme to steal gold from the mine.
“I’ve worked at that mine since 2011. A sponsor came in around 2023 and I was introduced to him as the oldest worker who knew how everything operated. After some months, the sponsor approached me, saying he had a plan for us to make more money. He wanted us to take some gold stones without the owner knowing. I refused because I had worked for years for my boss,” he said.
“I think this made the sponsor angry because he changed towards me, started threatening me, and assigned people to monitor whether I was stealing. He went to another group and did the same thing, luring someone else to steal for him. Their deals didn’t work because he started robbing them, and eventually, it came out that he had been sending boys to steal.”
According to Sibanda, the sponsor blamed him for turning other workers against him, which worsened tensions at the mine.
“The sponsor became closer to the boss, and since then our relationship at the mine hasn’t been the same. We had this feeling that he has too much power and would hurt us one day,” he said, adding that at one time, he took two weeks off from work after sensing tension.
“When I took the leave, I had left some gold stones that needed pounding since the machine was down and when I returned to work went to have the stones pounded and that’s when I was attacked. I assume this might be the reason I was attacked, though I am not sure.”
Due to the injuries, Sibanda sustained he cannot use his hands or legs and spends time lying down.
“I don’t even know what to do,” Sibanda said.
His father, Bigboy Sibanda, expressed disappointment over the way the police in Inyathi are handling the matter.
“The police attended to my son, wrote the assault report so he could get treated, and only made one follow-up to see where he was hurt, but nothing beyond that yet the perpetrators are known. As a parent, I went to Inyathi police to understand why no arrests have been made, and they told me they were failing to get witnesses to come forward with evidence, yet they never made follow-ups with my son,” he said.
“The police received information, including the names of people who were there, but nothing is being done. They even sent me to bring the doctor’s report, yet they should be the ones getting it.”
The father added that as a parent, he wanted justice for his child.
“These perpetrators are well-known in the area, and nothing is being done. As a parent, I want justice for my son. We are spending a lot on medical expenses, going to the hospital daily and buying medication to treat his injuries.”
The family also faces financial difficulties, unable to pay the hospital bills when Sibanda was about to be discharged.
“We can’t afford a wheelchair, and my son will never be able to use his left hand again,” his father lamented.
Matabeleland North Provincial Police Spokesperson, Inspector Glory Banda, claimed he is unaware of the matter.
“I am hearing this for the first time, but it is not our norm not to investigate reports we receive. In the case of Inyathi, the family can see the officer in charge if they are not satisfied with the service they receive on the ground. If still not satisfied, they can see the officer commanding police in Nkayi District, and if still not satisfied, they can see the officer commanding police in Matabeleland North Province,” he said.
