Teenager killed in Illegal gold mining in Bulawayo
An 18-year-old man died after he was trapped in a collapsed shaft at an illegal gold mine in Bulawayo on Monday.
This comes barely after government declared a State of Disaster on the Bayhorse Mine accident at Chakari, Chegutu district, that killed at least six people whose bodies were retrieved and left others still trapped.
According to Bulawayo Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube, Vusumuzi Chidziwa, of Springs Farms, was part of a 12-member syndicate that invaded a mining shaft at Larry Avenue, Kensington, on Sunday night.
Ncube said, “On the same day at around 2300 hours, 4 of the twelve men including the now deceased got in the shaft and started mining and the eight remained outside sleeping under a tree.”
Collapsed Shaft
He added that on 11 October 2023 at about 0400 hours, the shaft collapsed and the four were trapped inside. The eight who were outside immediately attended to them and they removed them from the shaft by digging using shovels and they rendered first aide. Three survived and it was too late for the now deceased.
In light of this incident, Ncube warned the public to desist from illegal mining activities, saying they pose a serious safety risk.
“Some mine shafts are located in loam soils which are less structurally stable than other types of soil and put the miners at the danger of serious injury or death,” he said.
Illegal gold mining is common in Zimbabwe, which has vast mineral resources. However, many of the mines are abandoned or poorly regulated, making them attractive to desperate and unskilled workers.
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Curbing Illigal Mining
The government has been trying to curb illegal mining by arresting and prosecuting offenders, as well as formalizing and supporting artisanal and small-scale miners.
However, the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic retrenchments have driven more people to resort to illegal mining as a source of income.
Lastly, according to a report by Reuters, illegal mining has surged during the lockdown, especially in the Chimanimani mountains, where miners have damaged the environment and wildlife.
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