Takawira Photoveteran Dapi
Two illegal gold miners died from injuries they sustained after a Hwedza mine collapsed last Wednesday with a third man hospitalised.
According to eyewitness, trained first aid practitioner, Obert Langston, the three men were alive when they were rescued from underground although two were then declared dead on arrival at Mount Saint Mary/s Mission Hospital.
“I managed the retrieval of the trapped three miners.
“The rubble was not on them but it blocked the entrance. We had no rescue equipment so we could not work quickly enough to unseal the blockage for fresh air to get to them in time,” said Langston.
Langston said the men were found collapsed in different positions as if they fell where they were working as they passed gold ore along a line.
“As a trained first aid miner, I gave them both cardial and mouth-to-mouth resuscitations but they didn’'t come around though they all had no apparent body injuries.
This accident happened on the MJ Mining Syndicate gold field claim but the organisation has distanced itself from the victims saying they were illegal operators.
“These fatalities are also a result of illegal mining without rules for safety.
“We now beg for the responsible ministry to enforce accountability and structures. Imagine we still do not even know the correct identity of these victims,” said MJMS director Trust Jasi.
The deceased duo were simply identified as “ana Dread” in reference to their dreadlocks.
MJ Mining Syndicate Assistant Manager, Brain Makusha said that the miners had an opportunity to work in safer conditions but they did not like the conditions set by the syndicate.
“They had access to our timbered shaft but they chose illegal mining there because of the 30% deduction we charge,” said Makusha.
Makusha said the syndicate had invested over US$200 000 in surveying, pegging, cyanidation tanks, beacons erection and other infrastructure and deducts from the self-employed miners to cover such costs.
Jasi said legal miners have been reduced to 15 with over a hundred choosing to become illegal operators under a rival syndicate that is also claiming title to the 132-hectare gold field.
“These so called MJ miners cannot come and mine in our village at the expense of all these children who voted for this government, we are seeking the government to look into this issue because all these children are now benefiting from my syndicate,” said Tanaka Machekanyanga, 28, from nearby Machekanyanga Village, who is the leader of the alleged invaders.
Machekanyanga said his group is waiting for the government to speedily process their papers as Dzahwe Mining Syndicate and they are currently mining using an application letter.
The disputed gold rich hill is on the west villages of Gumbonzvanda Township, along Nyamidzi River that feeds into the Save River in Hwedza District, Mashonaland East Province.
Jasi and Makusha said even though there is tension between them and the other miners, they still put high value on human lives and would assist where they could.
"We are very sorry about this fatality, May their dear souls rest in peace as MJMS also wish a quick recovery of the one admitted in Marondera,” said Jasi.
Langston said that it is important for miners to follow laid-out procedures as reckless mining endangers everyone.
“Mining rules, regulations and respecting each other’s advice will stop such accidents.
“To prevent more deaths, we must follow the mining rules even if you are an illegal miner, we must be friendly at all costs.
“Secondly, we must be having 0.5 Oxygen blower equipment for pumping down air into shafts before and during such accidents by force.
“The JCB equipment for faster heavy duty rubble removal from shafts is needed to save lives,” he said.
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