Gold panners dig up school premises

Kwekwe Central MP Judith Tobaiwa (Citizens Coalition for Change) has called on authorities to take action against gold panners  causing environmental degradation at a primary school in the gold mining city.

School buildings at Globe and Phoenix Primary School are in danger of collapsing from mining tunnels and pits dug underneath the school infrastructure.

"Mining and law enforcement authorities should react on time and solve this issue," Tobaiwa said.

"If no quick interventions are made, facilities including schools will be affected and as a community, we would not like to see the situation reaching a boiling point."

Tobaiwa made the call during a visit to inspect environmental damage caused by panners at the school.

The headmaster Isaac Bvupajena said: "The situation at my school is worrying, so a solution to end what we are experiencing should be put in place in no
time."

Cases of illegal miners invading school grounds in the Midlands province are common.

Last year, illegal miners boasted that they would dig anywhere in the country as long as their metal detectors detect gold deposits, adding that they would even dig under people's property.

In Silobela, Midlands province, the Roman Catholic Church-run Loreto Mission's infrastructure is being destroyed by illegal gold miners who are digging large pits in search of the yellow metal inside the school premises.

Classroom blocks at the school face possible collapse, while people and livestock are also at risk.