Gold Mine Shafts Collapse Killing Two Illegal Gold Panners

Two gold mine shafts collapsed at different occasions killing two illegal gold panners in Matabeleland South province on Friday and Saturday.

The reports were confirmed by Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele who said that the two cases were reported in Filabusi and Esigodini. Ndebele said:

I can confirm that we recorded two sudden death cases where two illegal gold panners died after shafts they were working in collapsed. In the first incident Buhlebenkosi Ndlovu (22) from Zhukwe area was working in a 400-metre-deep shaft at Empire Mine in Filabusi.

The shaft collapsed and buried Ndlovu inside. His body was retrieved by fellow villagers who dug him out. The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene. His body was conveyed to the Filabusi District Hospital Mortuary.

He added that in the second incident, Munyaradzi Muchena (28) was working in a six-metre-deep shaft at Esigodini Ncema catchment together with Mr Tawanda Ndlovu over the weekend and the shaft collapsed while Muchena was inside.

Ndebele urged members of the public to desist from engaging in illegal gold panning which endangers lives.