MASHAVA — Shabanie Mashava Mines Holdings (SMM) has evicted more than 10 families from Gaths Mine and dumped them at a mining compound at King Mine, where the houses are said to be dilapidated, without water and toilets and some of them are at great risk of collapsing.
Masvingo Mirror
Workers complained that the evictions were being done without notices.
Some 50 more families are awaiting eviction although they are owed millions of dollars in unpaid salaries by SMM. Cain Sibanda, a senior employee, at SMM refused to comment on the matter.
However, The Mirror is informed that management is clearing the houses to create room for students and staff members from a local university.
Masvingo provincial medical director Amadeus Shamu said he was not aware of the matter.
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The workers were occupying four-roomed houses that had both water and toilets and had enjoyed such occupancy for over 10 years.
Terrence Mupedzi, one of the workers who is in line for eviction, said he and his colleagues had since 2008 been on unpaid leave.
He said Sibanda and other managers came with a lorry loaded with people and forcefully removed the workers’ property out of the houses.
“Cain Sibanda, Wilson Museva, Lydia Sigauke and Cathrine Nyambiya came with a lorry full of men to forcefully remove our property from mine houses that we have been living in for over a decade,” Mupedzi said
Mupedzi said after the incident, he went to the mine offices and offered to resign, but the managers refused to accept his resignation letter.
“Since 2013, we have been on unpaid leave and we had relaxed in the houses, even though we had not been paid, but surprisingly, we were kicked out of the houses like dogs. I went to the offices to tender my resignation letter, but the mine managers refused to take it,” he said.