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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A Beitbridge family is finally relieved and can now enjoy a peaceful sleep after enduring six years fearing that the house they built over a disused mine shaft would collapse.
Mr Fungai and Mrs Eunice Majuru built their house in 2008 in the Tshitaudze suburb (former Hlalani Khuhle/Garikayi) and they have been having endless nightmares since the discovery of the mine shaft in 2014.
The mine shaft was one of the many shafts used by PUB Copper Miners in the early 1970s.
In an interview, Mr Majuru said they were relieved this year when Beitbridge municipality fixed the problems at the disused mineshaft.
“They have filled up the shaft and reworked our parameter wall to ensure that the shaft doesn’t give in again.
“We had heavy rains recently where some areas in the town were flooded, but to our relief, nothing has happened to the filled-up shaft,” he said.
His nephew, Mr Justin Chimedza said at the height of their fear, he entered the disused mine to make his own assessment due to delays to attend to their plight by authorities.
“After waiting for the local authority to act for some time, I decided to get into the pit to make an assessment.
“I went down for three metres and discovered three tunnels where one can walk upright. It is not clear how the former miners closed the mine,” he said.
Mr Chimedza said the front elevation of the house and the car park in the yard had been in suspension since 2014 and they would have more fear of the house collapsing every rain season.
On several occasions, they have been backfilling the opening by following a lukewarm response from the local authority and the Ministry of Mines.
At some point, the local authority re-allocated one stand owner, next to the Majurus due to the state of affairs.
Mrs Majuru said to avoid further damages or risk, the couple had to park their vehicles at a neighbor’s house and vigilantly monitored their children.
To add to their woes, the family stopped drinking water from a borehole they drilled near the mine shaft as soon as they made the discovery.
Beitbridge town clerk Mr Loud Ramakgapola said they had spent $RTGS591 573.63 on the civil works at the Majurus’ house.
Online Reporter