In Zimbabwe, illegal mining is a menace. Makorokoza, we call them: the illegal miners. They are brutal. They are their own law. They are lawless. They use Machetes or knobkerries.

Makorokoza. Gold attracts them. Diamonds attract them. They are everywhere. Where there are known deposits. Where there are new discoveries. They can smell Gold. In addition to their tools of the trade, they carry their Machetes and knobkerries. The fortune hunters. Reminds me of the movie, Wild Wild West.

Makorokozas are just violent. If they commit a crime- its violent crime. Normally its always crimes against a person. Public violence, physical assault, Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), Murder, rape, you name it. At times they use a specific assault knife to attack their victims-the Okapi. Mostly they trust their machetes or Kerries.

The menace of MaShurugwi is well documented. The name strikes fear in the hearts of their victims. They know no formula of attack. They attack to kill. Machetes and Knobkerries being weapons of choice.

Makorokazas are organised crime gangs. Lately, the gangs have been identified from where they originate from. The most notorious being the MaShurugwi and MaGokwe. They roam the whole country like wild beasts. They know no loyalty. There is intra-gang violence and there is inter-gang violence. For convenience, alliances are formed to fight a common enemy. Alliances are formed during periods of illegal invasions of legally operating mines or when fighting off law enforcement agents. They are merciless. They are ruthless and they kill. They murder. Esigodini, Tarka Estates, Chiadzwa, Penhalonga and Odzi. They terrorise communities. Kwekwe, Kadoma, Chinhoyi, Bindura, Mazowe and Mutoko. They terrorise.

With their Machetes and knobkerries, they carry their reign of terror. Even the environment has been victimised. Land degradation. Infrastructural destruction. Roads and housing communities are not spared. They dig anywhere.

Where is law enforcement agencies in all this lawlessness? Are they overwhelmed? Are they inadequately trained or equipped to handle this scourge?

Law enforcement agencies are there. I don’t think they cannot contain and manage this scourge. After “operation Hakudzokwi” in Chiadzwa, it’s a hard sell to argue that they are overwhelmed or inadequately trained. There is a specialised section of the Police which deals with Minerals. It was formerly the Minerals and Border Control Unit (BMCU). Either there is deliberate reluctance to stop the triad of Makorokoza, Machetes and Knobkerries or there is a third force behind all this.

Looking at the events of I August 2018 and 14-16 January 2019 one is forced to argue that the notorious Makorokozas can be stopped. I don’t advocate for use of extrajudicial activities to curb crime. A holistic approach to curb the Menace of Makorokoza be implemented. Then why do we still have the triad of Makorokoza, Machetes and Knobkerries? Why there is no scourge of firearms? Zimbabwe has strict firearms laws and they are strictly enforced without fear or favour. Something is not right?

The seeming failure to end the Makorokoza menace can be traced back to the political and economic institutions in Zimbabwe. In their world acclaimed book, WHY NATIONS FAIL, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, argued that extractive political and economic institutions would be comfortable with the status quo so as to protect their political and economic interests respectively.

According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, about 500 000 illegal artisanal miners (Makorokoza) were operating in Zimbabwe between 2007 and 2012. With the current economic hardships and high rate of unemployment, it is my considered view, that this figure could have substantially increased. Applying Acemoglu and Robinson”s argument, Zimbabwe inherited highly extractive institutions in 1980 and they maintained the status quo. 500 000 becomes is a very big number in political voting terms in Zimbabwe. During the First Republic, state institutions had been captured by the political elites hence the selective application of the law with fear and favour. This relationship between the political elites and Makorokoza became symbiotic at the expense of proper enforcement of the law. The whole system became corrupt and the Makorokoza, their machetes and knobkerries, became the untouchables. Violence became their totem.

The Centre of the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) defines violence as, “threats or physical force aimed at a person that may result in criminal or civil liability, whether said threats or force are severe or not, and whether a weapon was used or not.”

Makorokozas physically attacks their victims. They instil fear through the use of weapons. Their weapons of choice mainly being Machetes and Knobkerries. Their modus operandi in terms of attacking comes with no formula. They attack anywhere no matter the consequences. They attack anyone who comes between them and their object of desire. They attack Police officials, rival gangs, rival suitors, prostitutes. If they want sex and a woman refuses they attack to rape. They achieve compliance with their demands through the use of violence and weapons. Machetes and Knobkerries.

There is a ready supply of machetes. They are easily smuggled from Mozambique and one does not even need a licence to buy one. Knobkerries are also in abundant supply in markets or rural shopping centres and growth points. Add to the mix, money, alcohol, drugs and women. Its a recipe for lawlessness. Once they have mined or raided their Gold there is a ready market through the black market. Alcohol is easily available, even some cheap illicit high potent brews like ZED illegally imported from Mozambique goes. The commonly abused prescription cough syrup Broncleer (Codeine) commonly referred to as ‘Bronco’ is a drug of choice for it is also abundantly available. It is easily smuggled from South Africa. Prostitutes follow the money. Any slight provocation leaves a disastrous trail of destruction and injuries if not deaths.

For the Second Republic to achieve its target: making Zimbabwe an upper middle -income economy by 2030 much needs to be done to contain and channel the minerals being mined by the Makorokoza into the formal economy. It is not surprising that most of it is being smuggled out of the country. Zimbabwe has porous borders.

Acemoglu and Robinson mentioned above opined that extractive institutions can be turned into inclusive institutions by creative destruction. The political face of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has hinted and warmed up to the concept of creative destruction. Generally jurisdictions with inclusive institutions-both political and economic are successful and prosperous. Extractive institutions may be turned into inclusive institutions through creative destruction.

Inclusive institutions will create an enabling environment. The Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013 is a progressive one. Makorokozas can be assimilated into the legal small scale mining scheme. The Ministry responsible for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) would play an oversight role in organizing the rag-tag gangs into well-organised units. The Ministry responsible for Mining would even form a financial fund and register the organised units formed by the SMEs Ministry to access the said fund. Such a fund would allow the members to undergo basic training in mining and financial management. Training institutions such as the Zimbabwe School of Mines would be tasked with the role of such training.

The menace of Makorokoza must be tamed for the safety of our communities. If the illegal mining activities can be properly managed and controlled, the scourge of violent crime would be controlled too. A well-controlled small scale, the legal mining industry will translate into better livelihoods through income generation, employment creation, proper environmental management without destroying existing infrastructure such as roads and houses. Contributing to the formal economy through the payment of taxes.

Vision 2030 is achievable.