Villagers in Thandawani, Ward 7 of Masendu, Plumtree in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South, discovered an unexploded hand grenade believed to date back to the liberation war era.
The device was uncovered last Thursday by a local resident after heavy rains eroded the soil and the buried explosive.
A villager said the grenade appeared to have been buried for decades. Fortunately, no one was harmed, as the community members avoided tampering with the dangerous device.
The Zimbabwe National Army responded promptly and deployed a bomb disposal unit that safely detonated the grenade. Said a villager:
Soldiers arrived the same day and neutralised the grenade. We are relieved
Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson for Matabeleland South Province, Assistant Inspector Stanford Mguni, confirmed the incident and said investigations are ongoing. He said:
We are still conducting investigations into the matter, but the Zimbabwe National Army destroyed the object. It was discovered on 12 May 2025 and destroyed on 15 May 2025.
More: CITE
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