Sh5.7bn gold stolen

Armed robbers raided a mining company in Nzega, Tabora region on Tuesday night, injured four guards in a fierce scuffle and stole about 3,500 ounces of gold worth more than Sh4 billion.

According to a source at the mine, the thieves seized several bars of gold, each weighing 25kg before disappearing.

Yesterday, the Resolute Tanzania managing director, Mr Don Mcleod, told The Citizen in his office at the company's Dar es Salaam headquarters that the four guards were overpowered during the two-hour tussle with the gangsters.

Three of the guards, who were seriously injured, were taken to a hospital Mwanza, while their colleague was treated at the site.

A security guard, identified only as John and a driver, were shot in the legs as they arrived at the scene unaware that a robbery was taking place inside.

Two other guards were also shot by the robbers as they forced their way out of the company premises. Their names could not be obtained immediately.

Reports from the scene said police had launched a manhunt for the robbers, as they investigated the incident at the remote mine.

The management of Resolute, which produces about 140,000 ounces of gold a year from its Golden Pride mine, though regretting the incident, said they were not overly worried about the loss, as it is covered by their insurance.

Gold reserves at the mine have been dwindling, with only four years of the mine's life remaining.

Mr Mcleod said that after the armed robbers stormed into the remote mining site at Nzega, the management called the police, who quickly responded. But when they arrived, they could not subdue the robbers, who managed to force their way out.

The 3,500 ounces of gold had been produced in two weeks, in a daily average production of about 250 ounces.

"These people were well-armed and well-organised and they seemed to know exactly what they were doing. They appeared to be so well-informed about the site that they were able to break in and steal despite the tight security we have put in there," said Mr Mcleod.

He was, however, still hopeful that the stolen gold would be recovered.

Golden Pride is located some 18km north of Nzega district in Tabora region. Apart from the Nzega mine in Tanzania, Resolute Limited has gold-mining operations in Ghana and Mali.

Sources at the mine told The Citizen that after the robbers entered the premises and overpowered the security guards, they went straight to the managers� houses, where they forced the head of the mining site to call the operations and security managers.

"They kidnapped Mr Les Taylors, the head of the mining site, whom they found him in a vehicle used to carry explosives. They then forced him to lead them to the other managers. They later went into the store and stole gold," the source said.

As they left the mine, they ordered security personnel to open the gate, threatening to kill the operations manager, the security manager and the head of the mining site, whom they had kidnapped.

However, when the police arrived, they could not approach the robbers, who held the company officials at gunpoint.

The police officers reportedly chose not to confront them, fearing that they could endanger the company managers� lives.

However, the robbers, after shielding themselves, with their hostages, and managing to evade the police, released the company managers and vanished.

Contacted for comment by telephone, Energy and Minerals minister William Ngeleja, who is attending the ongoing parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Dodoma, referred the reporter to the Commissioner for Minerals, Dr Peter Kafumu.

"Please, discuss the matter with the Commissioner, who is in Dar es Salaam. You can call me if you fail to get what you want from him," Mr Ngeleja said.

But the commissioner could not be reached.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Said Mwema, and Tabora Regional Police Commander could also not be reached.

This is the second major gold theft in recent times. In December 2007, the Resident Magistrate�s Court in Mwanza convicted five people of stealing Sh1.6 billion worth of crude gold belonging to Geita Gold Mine (GGM). The theft was committed on November 2005.

The court handed the maximum 30-year sentence each to Asha Hamisi Mganja, who was 32, Hassan Juma Iddy, 30, Elisha Simba, 40, Samson Chacha, 40, and Victor Nyamhula, 41.

But Magistrate John Kahyoza acquitted Mr Robert Gabriel, Ms Margaret Balina, and Ms Shamsa Mohamed, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove that they failed to prevent the robbery.