Killer gold panners to languish in prison pending trial as bail is denied.

The group of gold panners who were arrested after murdering a police officer will have to languish in remand prison pending their trial after being refused bail by the high court. In denying bail, Justice Amy Tsanga said the panners were a flight risk. Two of the eight applicants were already on the police wanted list for another murder that occured in 2018 The judge had however granted bail to one of the panners who is only 14 years of age after the state conceded that it was not proper for him to be incarcerated with adults. The remaining seven applicants were denied bail.

The group of panners was said to belong to a group called Ziga by the investigating officer who had been called to testify. He said they had brutally murdered Constable Hokoyo and nearly killed his colleague who is currently battling for life in hospital. The investigating officer said the group consisted of around 35 people and only 18 had been arrested. After the arrest of the gold panners their fellow panners had gone on to raid a police station in Chegutu but were overpowered and arrested Gold panners have become a menace to the Zimbabwean society.

Hundreds of murders occur every year in areas where gold rush is prevalent. Some political figures have been fingered in some of these scandals and of late some police officers have been said to be working in cohorts with the miners.