Gold panning activities at Jena Mine, Black Dawn in Silobela were suspended on Friday after miners uncovered human remains, prompting calls for an investigation into what residents believe could be a burial site linked to Zimbabwe’s liberation war and the Gukurahundi killings.
Community members say the remains may belong to people who were allegedly killed and dumped in two large pits during the colonial era and later during the Gukurahundi atrocities of the 1980s.
Ward 20 councillor Maqhawe Moyo told CITE that local leaders had previously warned miners not to operate at the site without consulting the community and conducting traditional rites.
“We are not surprised that something like this has come up,” he said. “As a community, we have always known there were two large pits in the area where the miners had pegged.”
He added: “This mine initially belonged to the Germans many years ago, under the name Jena mine. The area where the remains were found is called Black Dawn. It is within the mine premises. The mine management partitioned different tributes and allocated them to various miners.”
Cllr Moyo said leaders had advised the miners to meet the community so that cultural procedures could be followed before operations began.
“We wanted relevant stakeholders to help determine whether there were human remains before any mining started, but they did not listen,” he said.
Cllr Moyo said the handling of the remains had violated cultural norms, particularly as they are believed to belong to victims of violent deaths.
“These people are victims of violence. According to our culture, it is taboo to disturb such remains without following proper traditions,” he said.
He alleged that miners removed some of the bones before police arrived to collect them.
“The proper process would have been to first establish who the remains belong to, then allow families to perform rituals before cleansing the area and resuming any mining,” he said.
The discovery has revived painful memories in the community. Some residents say it could help provide answers to families whose relatives disappeared during the liberation struggle and the Gukurahundi period.
“We still have many people who went missing during the liberation war. The Smith regime was killing people and throwing them into these pits,” Cllr Moyo said.
“During Gukurahundi, more people were also thrown in there. What has been found so far was near the surface. If the pits are excavated further, more remains could be uncovered. Families from this area and beyond may finally find closure.”
Midlands police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said he was yet to receive a formal report on the incident.
This is a developing story, it will be updated when we receive more information.