Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu
A GWANDA gold panner died when a disused mine shaft collapsed, crushing him and leaving his body mangled beyond recognition.
The freak accident happened in the Jacaranda area, where 32-year-old Dolphin Moyo was working with a colleague, Michael Sibanda, on Monday. Sibanda narrowly escaped as rocks came tumbling down, while Moyo was trapped underneath massive boulders.
Efforts to retrieve his remains stretched over two agonising days. It took a group of gold panners, armed only with chisels and hammers, to dig through the rubble and recover his shattered body late on Wednesday.
Witnesses described a grisly scene — Moyo’s skull was crushed, limbs dislodged, and small body parts had to be collected into sacks. Some fragments were still stuck to rocks, forcing rescuers to painstakingly scrape them off.
At the site, Moyo’s heartbroken wife, Una Katsaruware, clutched their two-week-old baby as she watched in horror.
“He left in the morning to try and make some money as usual. Around 4PM I heard he was trapped underground. I prayed he would come out alive, but when I saw what they were pulling out, my heart broke,” she said tearfully.
Katsaruware said her husband’s death has left her with two young children — one just two weeks old and another aged three. Moments after learning of his death, the newborn reportedly collapsed and had to be resuscitated at Gwanda Provincial Hospital.
Survivor Sibanda said they had never worked in that shaft before. “I warned him when I felt the ground shaking. I ran to one side, but he wasn’t lucky — the whole thing caved in,” he said.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Chiratidzo Dube confirmed the incident and warned the public against illegal mining. “These activities continue to claim lives. We urge people to desist from such dangerous ventures,” she said.
Ward councillor Alderman Knowledge Ndlovu added that illegal panning close to homes in Gwanda town is getting out of hand. “They are now digging right next to houses. This must stop before more lives are lost,” he said.
@DubeMatutu
