Eight years for Gwanda mine killing

by NQOBANI MATIBELA
GWANDA – A Chinese mining supervisor has been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for fatally shooting an artisanal miner during a confrontation over illegal gold prospecting at a mine in Collen Bawn, Gwanda District.

Yang Zhian (36) was convicted of culpable homicide by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Naison Chivayo following the death of 31-year-old Pardon Gumbo.

The incident occurred on 5 March last year at Long Fortune Mine.

In delivering sentence, Justice Chivayo imposed an eight-year prison term, with three years suspended for five years on condition that Yang does not commit any offence involving violence during that period.

He will therefore serve an effective five-year jail term. The firearm used in the shooting was ordered forfeited to the State.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, Gumbo and a group of artisanal miners entered the mine premises armed with metal detectors and a mattock.

A security guard, Gift Tashinga Mandeya, attempted to stop them, but they allegedly ignored the warning and continued prospecting near a slime dam.

Mandeya alerted Yang, who armed himself and went to the scene. According to prosecutor Kudakwashe Jaravaza, Yang fired between seven and eight shots towards the group, causing them to scatter.

Gumbo was struck on the forehead and collapsed.

Yang and the security guard later returned and found Gumbo lying in a pool of blood. The matter was reported to police, leading to Yang’s arrest.

Gumbo was taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem conducted at United Bulawayo Hospitals determined that the cause of death was severe brain injury and a fractured skull resulting from a gunshot wound.

In sentencing, Justice Chivayo described Yang’s actions as reckless and negligent, stating that imprisonment was unavoidable given the circumstances.