Police investigating death of artisanal miner at ZCDC concession

By Donald Nyarota   The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) is investigating the death of Abel Matindindi, an unarmed artisanal miner who was allegedly shot and assaulted by Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamonds Company (ZCDC) security guards in the Marange diamond fields on January 30. The ZRP spokesperson, Paul Nyathi, confirmed the incident and stated that seven suspects have been identified and questioned. However, Nyathi dismissed claims by resource campaigners that nearly 100 artisanal miners have been killed in similar circumstances over the past decade. Matindindi was allegedly captured on 28 January 2025 whilst panning in the company of three colleagues in Marange diamond fields, before he died on the 30^th following prolonged torture while in custody. “Whilst under the custody of ZCDC security personnel, the three had dogs set on them whilst the guards assaulted them. Before he died, Abel told his colleagues that ZCDC security guards set 10 dogs on him whilst 10 guards were beating him all over the body,” Nyathi, as quoted by local media, said investigations into Matindindi’s death were ongoing. “The Zimbabwe Republic Police is not aware of the alleged reports of attack or killing of artisanal miners at Marange Farm, except for one incident where a group of illegal artisanal miners invaded Marange field on January 25 and went into the pits,” he said. “The group was later accosted by Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamonds Company security, resulting in a shoot-out. “One of the victims jumped into a water stream and was later apprehended using dogs and assaulted. The ZRP is investigating the murder case, where seven suspects have been identified and questioned over Abel Matindindi’s death. “The ZRP is not shielding anyone from arrest or prosecution. We will conduct a comprehensive investigation and present the murder docket to the courts for determination in accordance with the country’s laws,” Nyathi said in an interview. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with eight civic society organizations, including the Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe and the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CRNG), alleging that ZCDC has killed scores of innocent Zimbabweans since it began operations in 2015. National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe, Njuji Jose Trust, and the Zimbabwe Artisanal Miners Association, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Zimbabwe Diamond Workers Union, and Zimbabwe Diamond Allied Mineral Workers Union also signed the Press Statement. Critics and analysts have also warned that the alleged killings pose a significant risk to Zimbabwe’s diamond industry, potentially leading to blacklisting and economic hardships for mining communities. Resource campaigners have claimed that Abel Matindindi’s death is just the tip of the iceberg. According to eight leading civic groups, nearly 100 artisanal miners have allegedly been killed under similar circumstances over the past decade. However, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Paul Nyathi dismissed these claims and denied allegations that law enforcement agency attempted to cover up last month’s incident. The Weekly previously published how ZCDC spokesperson Sugar Chagonda made cryptic comments on the matter, which he referred to police. Concerns over violence in Marange have persisted since the 2006 diamond rush, with reports of alleged brutal treatment of artisanal miners.