Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
TWO artisanal gold miners died while five more are suspected to be trapped in the mine after it caved in on them at Success Mine in Matobo district.
The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday when the illegal miners swarmed the area after reports that gold deposits have been discovered.
When a Sunday News crew arrived at the scene in the afternoon, a somber atmosphere engulfed the area with hundreds of gold miners surrounding the mine.
An excavator had been deployed and it retrieved two bodies.
Various components that included shovels, jackets and sacks of gold ore suspected to have been mined were exhumed.
Director of the mine Mr Philani Ncube who said the artisanal miners had invaded the mine. He said they had not commenced operations.
“This is our mine and we had not commenced operations. We are in the process of registering. We got reports that there were people coming to illegally mine here after discovering gold deposits using dictators.
“We then engaged the police from Matopo and they came and dispersed them on Friday. I assume these ones came at night to illegally mine and unfortunately the pit collapsed on them,” said Mr Ncube.
Police in Matopo attended to the scene and were still doing investigations by the time of going to print and could not confirm the number of those suspected to be trapped inside although reports indicate that they are five.
In October, a man died and four others survived when a mine shaft collapsed at New Parklands suburb in Bulawayo.
Authorities are on record warning illegal miners on the risk associated with the activity during the rainy season. @nyeve14
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter