Deaths from illegal gold mining in Zimbabwe on the increase

THERE has been an increase in the number of illegal gold miners who have been either killed or trapped in disused underground mines in Midlands and Matabeleland provinces of  Zimbabwe since the onset of the rain season this year, The Zimbabwe Guardian has learnt.

Four people are reported to have died underground while mining illegally since the beginning of December last year.

The latest death was that of a suspected gold panner who died in a gold mine shaft at Bonzo Mine in Hope Fountain on Thursday.

His colleague sustained back injuries when the mine they were working in collapsed.

Last month two miners also suffocated at Chirisa Mine in Kwekwe following the collapse of a mine shaft which they were working on.

Very few cases have been reported to the police since fellow panners fear being arrested and prosecuted.

Recently the panners, who can be identified by their extravagant spending, dug out some parts of Clobe and Phoenix primary school in Kwekwe.

Their disorderly activities have accelerated deforestation and excessive soil erosion, rendering the rivers and dams in cities and towns vulnerable to siltation.

The situation has been worsened by the current heavy rains which have pounded most parts of the country.

Early last year police rounded up more than 1 000 illegal gold panners in a military style swoop, code named operation Chikorokoza Chapera/Isitsheketsha sesiphelile (No Illegal Panning).

Environmentalists who spoke to The Zimbabwe Guardian this week said there was an urgent need for the government and local authorities to adopt an aggressive stance, introducing a mechanism to draft panners under one legal umbrella body.

The idea, they said, would facilitate managerial duties and fostering and addressing of environmental issues more practically.