adminThandeka Moyo Chronicle Reporter
TWENTY-TWO bodies of Zimbabwean illegal miners who were gassed to death in a South African disused mine arrived in the country last night. The crew suffocated at a mine in Roodepoort —suburb of Johannesburg, last week.A funeral cortege of 10 hearses and other vehicles carrying mourners was said to be at Beitbridge Border Post around 9PM.
Kings and Queens Funeral Parlour head of the convoy identified as Charles told Chronicle by telephone they were awaiting clearance on the South African side.
“We left Johannesburg around 12.30PM and we just drove into the border post. We have 10 trucks carrying the bodies and two commuter omnibuses carrying relatives to the deceased. We should be in Bulawayo by 2AM,” said Charles.
One of the deceased’s relatives waiting for the bodies in Bulawayo, Limukani Ncube, said his family was expecting three bodies for burial.
“The mine accident robbed us of three loved ones, Khethani Mbiba, Danisa Ncube and Brighton Moyo. We still cannot stomach that we lost a lot of people at one go. We are waiting for the bodies so we proceed to our rural homes for burial tomorrow.
“We are still failing to raise money for transport and we hope by the time the bodies come, we would have raised enough to take the whole family to Maphiwa area in Nkayi near Gokwe where we will bury our three relatives.”
Online reports say Herbert Ndlovu, who survived the incident, avoided going to the mine on that day.
“Our colleagues were missing for three days when we decided to look for their bodies. I am not aware of the gas that killed them but they looked swollen and their skin was peeling off as we carried them,” Ndlovu said.
He said at least 100 illegal miners used to enter the disused mine daily, going more than 30km in the shafts seeking gold. Bulawayo East MP Thabitha Khumalo vowed to stay awake until the bodies arrive in Bulawayo.
She bemoaned the death of the miners and said government should create jobs for the unemployed.
“I am waiting for the bodies of our sons and daughter who died while trying to eke a living in South Africa. As a mother it pains me to see youths dying in such a manner and I hope their death is an eye opener for us to secure jobs for our people,” she said.
Zimbabwe’s Consular-General Godfrey Magwenzi has urged Zimbabweans to use proper travel documents to avoid exposing themselves to dangers associated with illegal activities like border jumping.
“It was evident that most people at the funeral wake did not have proper travel documents and we urged them to visit our offices for assistance. We also highlighted the dangers associated with illegal gold mining at abandoned mine shafts,” Magwenzi said.
He discouraged Zimbabweans from using middlemen to assist them illegally cross borders.
“There are people known as omalayitsha who are paid between R2,000 and R4,000 so that people sneak into South Africa through illegal crossing points and this is exposing many people to danger,” he said.
Of the 22 Zimbabweans, 13 are from Nkayi, five from Gokwe South, two from Tsholotsho, one from Kwekwe and one woman from Kezi.
Online Reporter