Two artisanal miners died in separate incidents in Mashonaland Central province last week after they were trapped inside disused mine shafts in Mazowe and Bindura.
By Simbarashe Sithole
Mashonaland Central acting provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati confirmed the incidents and identified the deceased as Mududuzi Sithole and Aleck Muchemwa.
He said Sithole ’s body was still trapped underground at Stories Farm in Mazowe with officials from the Mines ministry and a rescue team from Mazowe Gold Mine making frantic efforts to retrieve the body.
“Two panners Mduduzi Sithole and his friend Manhla Sibanda (41) were illegally mining gold when a shaft collapsed. Sibanda managed to escape and informed other panners who tried to rescue the deceased to no avail before filing a police report at Mazowe Police Station,” Masikati said.
Muchemwa was also trapped underground after he entered a disused mineshaft at Garati gold claim together with his brother Edmore. Police said Aleck died after a six-metre-deep shaft collapsed and buried him.
“Aleck and his brother were illegally mining at Garati gold claim and he got into a six-metre-deep shaft which collapsed while his brother was outside. His body has since been retrieved,” Masikati said.
