KWEKWE — Tevi Paji, a director at the embattled Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) reportedly went missing on Monday amid fears that he could have been picked up by immigration officials on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant.
Report by Blessed Mhlanga
The company’s lawyer Valentine Mutatu confirmed the development yesterday, saying Paji vanished shortly after his release from Whawha Maximum Prison in Gweru where he had been detained over allegations of being an illegal immigrant from Zambia.
He said his client was arrested on August 28 and illegally detained for more than 48 hours at Whawha Prison. He was only released following a High Court order.
“Despite several presentations before the immigration officers that Paji is not Zambian, but indeed Zimbabwean, immigration officials illegally caused his detention at Whawha prison forcing us to file an urgent High Court application,” Mutatu said, adding that High Court judge Justice November Mtshiya presided over the matter and ordered his immediate release.
“Justice Mtshiya agreed that Paji’s rights were being violated following a more than 48-hour long detention and ordered that he be released, but just after his release he was abducted by suspected immigration officials who whisked him away and up to now we don’t know where he is,” Mutatu said.
Paji was heavily involved in the legal battle pitting KCGM and Midkwe Minerals over the control of Chaka Mine and a gold processing plant located 5km outside Kwekwe.
Midkwe Minerals which is co-owned by Zanu PF Buhera North MP William Mutomba and Smelly Dube lost their bid for control of the mine on Monday after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of KCGM.
