Gold producer Metallon claims ownership of cargo in Jan 2016 plane crash in Zimbabwe

Jan 16, 2017: Zimbabwe based-Metallon Corporation, a leading gold producer and developer, has claimed ownership of the gold that was being transported by a private plane that crash landed in southern Zimbabwe. This put to rest the speculation that the gold was being smuggled out of the country.

Following the plane crash, several Zimbabweans took to social media, accusing unnamed senior government officials of their alleged intent to smuggle gold out of the country using a private plane.

Zimbabwe sits on huge gold deposits and government critics have in the past accused President Robert Mugabe's government of illegally externalising the country's resources.

Last year, Mugabe said that his administration could not account for $15 billion accrued from the sales and marketing of Marange diamonds, as he confessed on the rampant corruption in his government.

On January 10, 2016, two pilots escaped with minor injuries after a Central Air Traffic Services-operated Cessna 206 aircraft carrying 22kg of gold worth millions of dollars crashlanded in a field in in Matabeleland North Province.

Metallon Corporation Zimbabwe issued a statement claiming ownership of the gold that was reportedly being transported from the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Airport from its subsidiary How Mine to the capital Harare. The regional mining giant is developing and operating How Mine, Redwing, Shamva and Mazowe underground gold mines as its subsidiaries in Zimbabwe.

"On Tuesday 10 January, 2016, a plane transporting gold bullion on behalf of a private security firm developed a mechanical fault and the crew executed an emergency landing north of Bulawayo. The plane was carrying gold bullion from Bulawayo Mining Company (How Mine) for delivery to Fidelity Printers and Refiners in Harare," said a statement issued by the company.