Two security guards have been arrested for murder after a fatal shooting at a mine in Matabeleland North. Their employer has claimed that the men were only authorised to use rubber bullets, not the live ammunition allegedly used in the incident.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police announced the arrest of the two guards on 1 December 2025. The police stated the shooting occurred the previous day, on 30 November, at DGL5 Mine in Inyathi.
“Police in Nkayi arrested two security guards, Mbekhezele Ngwabi (52) and Elisha Matsvai (45) in connection with murder and attempted murder cases which occurred on 30/11/25 at DGL5 Mine, Inyathi in which an illegal miner was shot dead while the other one was injured,” said the ZRP in a statement.
The official police report detailed the serious allegations.
“Mbekhezele Ngwabi allegedly shot Thabo Ngwenya (24) with a 12 bore rifle on the chest and neck while Elisha Matsvai shot Nkosikhona Moyo (19) on the eye and left arm.”
The police confirmed that Thabo Ngwenya succumbed to his injuries while en route to medical care.
Coffin Dumped In Guardroom As Community Seeks Justice
The shooting triggered immediate and violent unrest in the Bubi District community. According to The Chronicle, outraged villagers and artisanal miners stormed the mine premises.
They blocked police from removing the victim’s body, looted stockpiled gold ore, and ultimately forced officers to retreat. In a dramatic act of protest, the crowd seized the metal coffin from a police vehicle and deposited it inside the mine’s guardroom.
The victim’s elder brother, Simisosenkosi Moyo, described the family’s grief to journalists.
“He was walking to the shops and they shot him. When I arrived, I saw my brother lying dead on the road. He was shot three times. Left, right, and centre. We are heartbroken,” Moyo said.
Mine Owner Insists On Rubber Bullet Policy
Confronted by the furious crowd, mine owner Francisco Marconitti addressed the incident on 1 December. He explicitly stated that company policy prohibited the use of the lethal force allegedly employed.
“He was supposed to fire rubber bullets. Not live bullets. What he did is completely unacceptable,” Marconitti told those gathered at the mine.
His statement directly contrasted the authorised use of force with the fatal outcome of the confrontation. Political figure Lot Mbambo intervened to help calm the volatile situation, later confirming the arrests and the company’s commitment to cover costs.
National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi addressed the media on 2 December, confirming a full-scale investigation was in progress.
“We strongly condemn acts of violence and call upon communities to exercise restraint. The law will take its course,” Commissioner Nyathi told The Chronicle.
The two guards remain in custody as detectives work to establish the complete sequence of events that led to the fatal shooting and the subsequent community uprising.
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