A Gwanda artisanal miner’s jealousy over deleted phone records led to a brutal assault on his girlfriend, leaving her with a permanently scarred nose and a painful reminder of the dangers of mixing love and technology.

The drama unfolded on July 2, 2025, at the Vhovha mining area in Colleen Bawn, where the 48-year-old miner’s anger boiled over into violence after his 45-year-old girlfriend deleted a mysterious phone call from her records. The miner’s rage took a dark turn, with him striking her with a wooden stick and then biting off part of her left nostril.

The Gwanda Magistrates’ Court handed down a sentence that serves as a stern warning to others in isolated mining communities where violence is on the rise. The miner was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with 8 months suspended for good behavior, resulting in an effective 10-month jail term.

The court’s verdict is a step towards justice, and it remains to be seen whether it will have a lasting impact on the community .

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