BULAWAYO – A Bulawayo project manager has traded the comfort of corporate boardrooms for a jail cell after allegedly orchestrating a violent armed raid at a gold mine on the outskirts of the city.
Andrew Munemo (47), of Paddonhurst suburb, and employed by Posse Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Joshua Nembaware facing charges of armed robbery. He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 17 October 2025.
According to prosecutors, Munemo teamed up with several accomplices — identified as Innocent Siziba and Professor Moyo, who are still at large — to raid Inyoka B Gold Mine at Hope Fountain, which is owned by 61-year-old Pretty Gumbi of Pumula South.
The State alleges that sometime in April, the suspects arrived at the mine in a white Toyota GD6 and a white Quantum, armed with guns and machetes. Upon arrival, they reportedly rounded up mine workers and ordered them to one side. When the workers resisted, the gang allegedly fired warning shots into the air, forcing terrified miners to flee.
The group then allegedly took control of the site and began operating as though it were their own mine.
The incident was later reported to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Matopo, leading to Munemo’s arrest on 23 August. His co-accused remain on the run.
Property valued at approximately US$5 000 was reportedly stolen during the raid, and none of it has been recovered.
Sheilla Nyathi appeared for the State.
