PRISCA MANYIWA-MASUKU
MIRROR REPORTER

GOKWE- High Court Judge, Justice Garainesu Mawadze has expressed alarm at the rampant murder incidents reported at mining sites dotted in the Midlands Province and called for respect for the sanctity of life.
He made the call while delivering a 30-year-effective jail term to a mine security guard who shot three colleagues, killing one, living another blind and the third sustained injuries.
Justice Mawadze who is the Deputy Judge President is in Gokwe, among five High Court Judges deployed to deal with a huge backlog in murder cases in the Midlands Province.
He delivered the ruling on Tuesday.
Justice Mawadze reminded artisanal miners that mining activities are for economic gain but those involved in the activity seem to lose their minds when they go underground.
“It is important for people to know the value of life but some of you seem to lose your mind when you go underground. I wonder what happens to you people when you get into mining,” said Justice Mawadze.
Avoid Siajena of Gweshe Village, Chief Nepiri in Kariba who was employed as a security guard at Mambo Mines in Silobela was convicted for shooting colleagues following a dispute over relish prepared by the now deceased Lovemore Nyoni.
The shot led to the death of Nyoni and Willard Chikofa lost his sight whilst the other complainant Shepherd Moyo sustained injuries.
Siajena faced three counts namely murder and two attempted murders.
The accused got 20 years for murder, 10 for attempted murder on Chikofa and eight years for attempted on Moyo.
The second and third sentence will run concurrently resulting in 30 years effective jail term.
The State Was represented by Sharon Fero.
He said the now deceased was preparing supper and Siajena ordered him to cook vegetables as relish instead of meat and the deceased refused.
Siajena threatened to spoil everything and he shot towards the now deceased and the other two complaints.