Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]
TWO illegal miners died in Bubi District after they were trapped underground when a shaft in which they were mining collapsed and buried them.
The incident took place on Sunday afternoon at Emdujane Mine in Skhuni Village, Bubi district in Matabeleland North.
Illegal miners have invaded the mine in search of gold deposits which have been discovered at the area.
When the Chronicle news crew arrived at the scene the bodies of the two men had already been retrieved from the shaft.
The body of Dalubuhle Mhlanga (30), one of the victims, was removed on Monday morning, while the other of Nkosiphile Mpofu (23) was removed on Wednesday.
A gold panner who spoke on condition of anonymity said the two deceased miners were working underground together with other colleagues when they struck underground gas.
They inhaled the substance resulting in them feeling dizzy. There was a stampede as they all tried to get out of the shaft.
“When the mine started collapsing, Mhlanga and Mpofu failed to escape resulting in being trapped underground,” said the gold panner.
A sombre atmosphere engulfed the village as mourners gathered in both homes of the deceased to console their families.
Mpofu’s mother, Ms Siboneni Nkiwane struggled to hold back tears as she narrated how her eldest son died.
“My son was a reserved young man who loved joking around about how he intended to start his own family. Now that he is gone I will miss him and the jokes that he used to crack,” she said.
“It saddens me when I think of how he was trapped underground for almost two days. When the shaft collapsed his body moved to another section and they could not rescue him.”
Ms Nkiwane said she had lost hope after the search team had failed to retrieve his body on the first day.
“Fortunately, they found his body after two days, and that way I will find closure. We will bury him on Friday (today) and for now arrangements are underway,” she said.
Mhlanga’s father, Mr Josphat Mhlanga said while in the African tradition neighbours are supposed to help each other plan for a funeral they are actually both mourning for the loss of their children. He said when his son left home on Sunday morning he had hope that he would return.
“I do not have all the details of what happened and how it happened. I was called by our local village head on Sunday afternoon to inform me that my son had been trapped underground,” said Mr Mhlanga.
“Initially, I had hope that he would come out alive because the village head had promised me that they were not digging in a deep shaft,” he said.
“He was my first born and sadly he is gone and I do not even know what to say and how to console his young wife and two children.”
Mr Mhlanga said his son was a hardworking young man who was committed to the welfare of his family.
He said the family has lost a breadwinner.
“They were able to retrieve his body on Monday morning and we immediately took it to Bulawayo for a post-mortem. If all goes well we shall be burying him tomorrow evening (today),” said Mr Mhlanga.
Online Reporter