Mine owner charged after guards shoot illegal miners dead

A mine owner in the Bubi district is facing state charges after his security team allegedly shot two illegal miners, killing one. The incident happened at the DGL5 Mine in Inyathi. Police arrested two guards, Mbekhezele Ngwabi and Elisha Matsvai, following the shooting. The owner, Francesco Marconati, was charged with illegally providing firearms to personnel without a proper license. Prosecutors say those weapons were then used in the violent encounter.

The event sparked immediate and intense protests from the local community. Villagers and other miners reportedly blocked police, looted gold ore from the site, and staged a symbolic demonstration by moving a coffin into the mine's guardhouse. The brother of the deceased man, Simisosenkosi Moyo, told reporters his brother was shot three times while walking to a local shop. The mine owner, Francisco Marconitti, claimed his guards disobeyed orders to only use rubber bullets, calling their use of live ammunition unacceptable.

Marconati was denied bail by a local court, with a hearing scheduled for early January. A national police spokesperson commented on the situation, condemning the violence while urging community restraint. The two security guards also remain in custody as the legal process continues.