THE normally quiet and poor surroundings of the Hunyani area just outside Chinhoyi was temporarily turned into a hive of activity following a gold rush triggered by Zanu PF meddling at the gold rich Eldorado mine, which is under curatorship. Managers at Eldorado mine talking to The Standard reporter. Pictures: Shepherd Tozvireva. Sex workers flocked from Chinhoyi town to the usually quiet mining compound after hundreds of illegal gold panners who had found their way into the mine tunnels struck gold and went on a spending spree which at times turned violent.
A bar lady at the compound, Gloria Mhindu, said sales of opaque beer went up and commercial sex workers worked over time as illegal panners mostly from Kwekwe and Shurugwi hit gold. There was a lot of activity here, the panners would drink throughout the night and they also bought cars. Ennet Marimbe said while the gold rush increased activity and money changed hands for a while in the area bringing food on the tables of the predominately farm workers in the community, locals did not get much.
However, the recent violent sealing off of Eldorado mine by police and mine owners has now affected the community because spending has dropped. About 29 illegal panners who were renting the huts are now lodging at the Chinhoyi remand prison after they were bail. July 16, in Local , News.
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