Eight artisanal miners lost their lives after being trapped underground when water flooded a mining shaft beneath a Penhalonga home following heavy rains around midnight on Monday.
The tragedy
occurred at House Number 6, Rizende Road in Redwing Mine, where the miners had
been operating illegally in a tunnel allegedly run by the homeowner, Ms Tsitsi
Tizwi.
Recovery
efforts led by Redwing Mine authorities, assisted by fellow artisanal miners,
stretched over two days.
By Wednesday
night, all eight bodies had been retrieved, the last one surfacing around 10pm.
The victims
hailed from different parts of the country: one from Buhera, one from Zimunya,
four from Marange (including two brothers), and two relatives from Masvingo.
Many left
behind families, including pregnant wives, having travelled to Penhalonga in
search of a livelihood.
When The Manica
Post visited the scene yesterday (Thursday), grief and disbelief hung heavily
over Ms Tizwi’s yard.
Shattered
windowpanes and scattered household property bore silent testimony to the anger
and sorrow that erupted among fellow gold panners after news of the flooding
spread.
Relatives of
three of the deceased remained at the home, while others had travelled to
Mutare to await post mortem results.
Ms Tizwi
confirmed in an interview that the final body was retrieved late Wednesday
night, bringing a painful end to the search.
“We have
managed to retrieve all the bodies. The men were underground working when
tragedy fell,” she said, her voice trembling as she recounted the moment she
first heard the miners’ predicament.
She said water
flooded the shaft from another underground tunnel she insisted did not belong
to her.
“The shaft was
clogged with water around midnight on Monday. It rained heavily for about an
hour. The boys who were guarding the opening realised when it was too late that
water was flooding the tunnel. The men underground were trapped and met their
fate. It all happened very fast,” she said.
According to
her, 10 artisanal miners were working at the site that night – eight inside the
tunnel and two at the opening.
Only two
survived.
Ms Tizwi said
she was asleep when the survivors rushed to alert her.
“I was sleeping
when the two surviving artisanal miners came to tell me what had happened. We
tried to rescue them, but our efforts were in vain. In the morning, I went to
the Redwing Mine authorities, and they immediately sent a rescue team. They
have been working nonstop until all eight bodies were retrieved last night,”
she said.
She admitted
that she was conducting illegal mining operations to fend for her three
children after the death of her husband in 2021.
“My husband
died in 2021, and I had no other means to take care of my children except
turning to gold panning. That is how I did this secretly without the knowledge
of Redwing Mine. I tried by all means to cover it up, but now eight people have
died. This is not the company’s doing. It is mine, and I feel so bad about it.
I am in pain,” she said.
The woman also
revealed that she had secured a US$10 000 loan from business associates to
assist with funeral expenses for all the eight deceased artisanal miners.
“Some business
partners loaned me US$10 000 to help with the funeral and burial expenses. Gold
panners and relatives were so violent demanding their loved ones’ bodies. They
broke my windowpanes. We just watched haplessly as they went on a rampage.
Everyone deals with pain differently,” she said.
Asked whether
she feared her house would collapse due to underground mining activities, she
insisted the tunnel did not run directly beneath it.
“The tunnel is
not directly under the house. We were very careful about that,” she said.
Her
brother-in-law, Mr Norman Tsikiwa, appealed for assistance from well-wishers,
saying the burden of handling multiple funerals was overwhelming.
“We will be
going to every funeral as Ms Tizwi’s relatives. She was only trying to take
care of her family as a widow. We are supporting her during these trying
times,” he said.
However, grief
among the families of the deceased was raw and unconcealed.
Mr Gwinyai
Gwite, a brother to the two siblings who perished, Terrence and Ananias Gwite,
struggled to come to terms with the loss.
“They have left
behind families and we do not know what will happen to them. There is no
compensation for the surviving wives and children. Yes, Ms Tizwi said she will
help with burial arrangements, but what about long-term support? It is painful
beyond words. Terrence’s wife is pregnant. That child will never know his or
her father,” he said.
He said the
siblings will be buried in Marange.
Another
relative, Mr Tarusenga Gwite said the deaths were too heavy to bear.
“We just want
our relatives’ bodies released so that we can bury them. We are grateful that
the ‘mine owner’ has accommodated us and promised to take care of the expenses.
They are doing everything they can, and we appreciate it, but the pain is still
deep,” he said.
The family of
another deceased, Passmore Mutepfa of Zimunya is also facing a similar
heartbreak.
Mr Talent
Mutepfa said his brother had travelled to Penhalonga just two days before the
tragedy.
“When I first
heard the news, I thought maybe he would be found alive. We never imagined he
would die like this or that it would take this long to recover his body. That
is why I delayed coming. But when we came and waited for the body to be
retrieved, it was painful when it was finally retrieved,” he said.
He urged mine
operators and artisanal miners to consider weather conditions before venturing
on underground operations.
“They were all
trying to earn a living. However, mine owners should not allow these boys
underground when it is raining. That is risky business. At least wait until the
weather clears,” he said.
National police
spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi was unreachable for comment. Manica Post
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