Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
A week has passed since the retrieval of four bodies from a disused chrome pit in the Gakaka area in Shurugwi, Midlands Province, but the community and relatives of the deceased are still grappling with the unfortunate tragedy.
The Gakaka area is one of the places along the Shurugwi-Zvishavane highway where open-cast mining, also known as open-pit mining, is rampant. This type of mining typically results in the formation of a pit or excavation as it involves removing soil, rock and other overburden to access mineral deposits, creating a large pit or hole in the process.
Tragedy struck on Sunday evening last week at a site in the Gakaka area when a Honda Fit vehicle veered off the road and plummeted into a 30-meter-deep chrome pit filled with water, resulting in the loss of four lives namely Ms Hazel Funhiro, who was pregnant and fellow passengers who were related namely Aaron, Abednego and Miriam Mpofu. One person, Mr Calton Panashe Munyimi, who was husband to Ms Funhiro miraculously survived the horrific accident. Ms Funhiro, Aaron, Abednego and Miriam were laid to rest, but the question of how their lives could have been saved if the chrome pits had been reclaimed remains a painful and haunting one.
Mr Munyimi blames the existence of the pit that is a few metres from the road, for his wife’s untimely death.
“I was coming from church together with my wife and we boarded this Honda Fit at Musasa bus stop a few kilometres from Shurugwi town. Our journey was supposed to be about 21 km only but a few metres away from our bus stop, the Honda Fit veered off the road. The driver must have failed to control the vehicle,” he said.
Mr Munyimi said as the vehicle veered off the road, all they could see were heaps of chrome and unclaimed pits just a few metres from the Shurugwi- Zvishavane highway.
“Unfortunately, the vehicle plunged into a water filled chrome pit. The windscreen was damaged. I managed to get out of the vehicle and swam to safety. But my wife and the other passengers failed to get out of the vehicle and the water and they passed on,” he said.
Mr Munyimi believes that if there was no pit filled with water, the now-deceased could have survived the accident.
“What if there was no open pit? This is the question that is eating me and my family members every day. But at the end of the day, there is an urgent need to reclaim the pits by whoever is involved in mining,” he said.
Mr Munyimi’s urgent appeal serves as a stark reminder of the need for immediate action to address the issue of abandoned mine pits and ensure a safer, healthier environment for all.
In January, two siblings aged 11 and nine drowned in an abandoned open chrome mine pit in Ngwaro Village, Zvishavane. Local traditional leader, Chief Mapanzure said they have always urged miners to prioritise land reclamation.
“But they always defy us and continue to leave huge and dangerous open pits,” he said.
The failure to reclaim open chrome pits in Shurugwi and most parts of the Midlands Province has severe environmental, health and socio-economic consequences. Soil erosion and degradation, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, and increased risk of landslides and subsidence are just a few of the challenges faced by not reclaiming the pits.
Exposure to toxic chemicals and heavy metals poses significant health risks, while socio-economic impacts include loss of agricultural land and livelihoods, increased risk of accidents and decreased property values. Reclaiming open chrome pits is crucial to mitigating these challenges. Studies have shown that reclamation efforts can be effective in restoring ecosystems and preventing further environmental damage.
According to the director of Green Shango Environmental Trust Mr Daniel Sithole, the abandonment of chrome pits poses significant ecological and public health hazards.
“These unclaimed pits often become hazardous traps for both wildlife and humans, leading to injuries or fatalities, while also disrupting local ecosystems. The toxic waste and heavy metals associated with chrome mining can leach into surrounding soil and waterways, contaminating vital natural resources and posing serious health risks to communities that rely on these ecosystems for their livelihoods,” he said.
Mr Sithole said these sites can attract unauthorised dumping and illegal activities, compounding the environmental degradation and creating long-term liabilities for both the environment and public safety.
“Addressing these issues through proper reclamation and management is essential to mitigate risks and restore the health of affected habitats,” he said.
The Mines and Minerals Act, Mr Sithole noted, places significant emphasis on responsible mining practices, including the obligation for mining companies to reclaim pits after exploitation to mitigate environmental damage.
“As an environmentalist, I firmly believe amendments are necessary to strengthen enforcement mechanisms, including the provision for prosecuting companies that fail to adequately reclaim pits. This would not only hold companies accountable but also ensure that environmental protection is prioritised in mining operations, thereby promoting sustainable resource management and safeguarding natural habitats for future generations,” he said.
Mr Sithole said Chapter 20:27 of the Act enacted in 2002, addresses issues related to environmental protection, including mining activities. This Act, he said, emphasises the necessity for environmental impact assessments, and it includes provisions that can extend to the management and reclamation of mine dumps.
“Additionally, the Act also contains provisions relating to the rehabilitation and reclamation of land that has been disturbed by mining activities. This legislation underscores the responsibility of mining companies to rehabilitate land and ensure that mining operations do not result in long-lasting environmental damage,” he said.
According to Mr Claudios Makwara, a Mining Law lecturer at the Midlands State University, the law provides that holders of prospecting licences and mining titles should make sure that they fill the surface workings, excavations and shafts, so as to permanently ensure the safety of persons and animals.
“This is provided for in terms of Section 269 of the Mines and Minerals Act. It is therefore an issue of implementation on the part of the Provincial Mining Director (PMD), because the law allows the Mining Commissioner to order miners to make sure that they fill in their pits, shafts or openings. Failure by miners to do so attracts a penalty of a fine not exceeding level seven or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years.
“So, if miners are not filling those shafts, and the PMD is not doing anything about it, it is just an issue of enforcement of the law, but the law is there. The public is advised to make sure they report such incidents to the PMD so that he can order the miners to comply with the law, or cause them to be prosecuted,” he explained.
The Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube, condemned the mining company that left the chrome pits unreclaimed.
He said the owner or the miner should be held accountable for the death of the four people. Minister Ncube made these remarks after visiting the site of the tragic accident to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the passengers.
“This is very unfortunate and uncalled for. It is sad when precious lives are lost due to negligence like in this case.
The chrome pits should have been reclaimed after the mineral was exploited,” he said.
“While details of the incident are still emerging, the nation mourns the loss of life and we offer our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. May their souls rest in peace.”
