ZIMBABWE — Chiadzwa -The media has been barred from taking photographs of horrific scenes of the happenings at Chiadzwa amid disclosures that cameras and all the other image-capturing gadgetry is confiscated by security details at the instructions of the president’s office, ZimDaily has established from sources close to the cantonment area.

 

According to sources, journalists from acceptable media organisations that encompass Zimpapers and the national broadcaster the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) are supposed to be cleared by the Mutare office of the ministry of information and publicity and clearance passes should carry the signature of either the ex-minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu or that of the permanent secretary George Nathaniel Manheru Charamba for them to gain entry into the diamond –rich fields.

 

In the recent past years, the former ZBH Manicaland Bureau chief Andrew Neshamba lost his job for having aided a journo from South Africa’s etv to do a documentary recording of the activities at Chiadzwa without clearance.

 

In an interview with ZimDaily, a security detail at Chiadzwa said, “ All journalists have to be cleared by the Ministry at the Mutare offices and we are under strict instructions to manhandle any scribe that insist on gaining entry without our express clearance.

 

“The authorities are worried that unpleasant images may come out of this area and they expose them and the government.

 

At the moment this area is a war zone and you are better off staying out of it,” he said.

 

ZimDaily has established that some members of ZRP are perpetrating acts of rape against female panners and shoot-outs are the order of the day as more than 200 unclaimed bodies of suspected panners are lying at Mutare and Rusape mortuaries.

 

The source confirmed that there was a recent deployment of a vigil of police crack details from support unit to prop up their numbers as they were severely assaulted and overpowered by the daring panners code-named Magweja. ZRP’ s public relations has since confirmed that it has deployed a crack team to Chiadzwa although the numbers could not be furnished.

 

The Chiadzwa source said that the government has taken a hard-line stance against the media for it suspects that acts of espionage may disrupt the mining activities there.

 

The Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) is currently doing mechanised panning at Chiadzwa.

 

Investigations have revealed that there are countless syndicates of high-ranking government officials that encompass Air Marshal Perence Shiri, Ambassador Amos Midzi, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri, Emmerson Mnangagwa, ZRP, Army, central intelligence and others that are wrecking havoc looting diamonds in Chiadzwa and foreign currency from hapless panners in Marange.

 

It is reported that the looters are sensing that the troubled ZANU PF leader Robert Mugabe might decide to tilt more political power to the MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai before they enrich themselves and now is the right time to amass more wealth as the talks of the unity government helter – skelter on the periphery*

 

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