ABOUT 15 miners are feared dead in the Tsapauta mining area at Redwing Mine in Penhalonga, Manicaland province after a mine shaft collapsed yesterday morning.
No official comment was obtained from the mine management, but witnesses and workmates of the missing miners confirmed the mine shaft collapse to NewsDay yesterday.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi also confirmed the accident. He, however, said police were told that only 11 people were trapped underground.
“So far we are waiting for a full report from Manicaland. We have, however, been told that 11 workers are trapped underground. Rescue efforts are currently underway,” he said.
Speaking to NewsDay one witness said: “It happened this morning (Thursday) around 0600hrs. As we were moving on the road to Redwing we saw the tarred road cracking and in other parts collapsing. We thought it was an earthquake, but, we realised that a shaft had collapsed.”
A worker at the mine who was reportedly present when the accident occurred also confirmed the accident.
“We saw the ground collapsing and we knew that the shaft had buckled. There were 15 miners working underground when the incident happened,” he said on condition of anonymity fearing victimisation.
“But, the numbers can be more because there are other illegal miners who mine and poach gold in the same shaft, so the numbers could be higher than that,” the worker said.
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At the time of going to print, a rescue team from Redwing Mine had reportedly abandoned its mission because the shaft was too unstable for the rescue efforts to contuinue.
Meanwhile, Community Based Organisations in Manicaland bemoaned government’s lack of commitment to investigate the increasing deaths of people at Redwing Mine.
In an interview with NewsDay at the scene of the accident, the Centre for Research and Development director, James Mupfumi expressed concern over the continuous loss of life at Redwing Mine.
“We call upon the government to adopt the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee of Home Affairs and Defence inquiry which called for an immediate end of these dangerous open pits mines at Redwing Mine,” said Mupfumi.
Penhalonga Youth Development Trust director, Clinton Musanga underlined the lack of transparency and accountability in documentation of fatal incidences at Redwing Mine where more than 100 miners have reportedly died over last few years.
“We have noticed that these mine workers are poorly resourced. They are dying from shaft and roof collapses as a result of weak and unsupported ground. Some are also dying from falling into unprotected pits,” said Masanga.
Community-based organisations in the area have been strongly calling for the immediate shutdown of mining operations at Redwing, while challenging government to effect accountability measures to protect people’s lives.
Mining at the site was also halted by the Environmental Management Agency early last year following reports of illegal mining practices leading to deaths.
