BY PATRICIA SIBANDA
AUTHORITIES have suspended operations to retrieve the body of Esikhoveni Mine worker, Andrea Malunga who got trapped when the mine surface caved in last week, claiming four lives.
Dumisani Sibanda (43), Tapiwa Moyo (41) and Ashton Swilinga (86) have since been retrieved. They were buried yesterday while the body of Malunga (79) remained unaccounted for as retrieval efforts failed due to uncertainty surrounding the mining shaft.
Chief government mining engineer, Michael Munodawafa yesterday confirmed that they had suspended the efforts to retrieve Malunga’s body to avoid putting the lives of more people at risk.
“We cannot risk sending more people down there, it’s not like we are trying to dismiss the tragedy that took place in that mine, but we are still looking for other alternatives of how we can retrieve the body from the shaft,” he said.
“We have shunned this alternative of trying to retrieve the body from the top because it is very risky. We suspended work in the meantime, but we will resume as soon as we have found the right way to regain the remains.”
Zimbabwe Diamond Workers’ Union secretary Justice Chinhema said the ministry should continue the retrieval efforts.
“We continue to be surprised by the Ministry of Mines. Are we as a country not able to act in times of these disasters. First, they said they had no knowledge of the existence of the shaft because there were no maps or paperwork. Now they are claiming they do not have machinery to excavate the shaft so that they can retrieve the body,” Chinhema said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Chinhema said the ministry stopped community members who wanted to assist in finding the body.
“They were telling everyone that the Civil Protection Unit was on the ground helping in the recovery of the miners when it was false. Unskilled workers and community members from the day of the accident did the work to recover their workmates,” he said.
“But they were stopped by the same ministry saying they would bring machinery to use, later they came to say they had condemned the shaft and the body would be buried there.” He said they were disappointed with the outcome.
“We are very disappointed by this development, and we shall do thorough investigations and expose it all,” Chinhema said.
