News / Local
Illegal miners collapse university road
17 Oct 2022 at 01:08hrs | Views
STUDENTS, teachers and residents using a road that links Midlands State University (MSU) Zvishavane campus and Noelvale suburb woke up to find a section of the road collapsed into an underground tunnel dug by illegal miners.
The panners dug under the tarred road that passes through the campus leading to the road's collapse.
Vehicles were forced to use other routes to get to the campus while pedestrians used the other side of the road.
Most of the panners who have invaded the mining town, used to operate illegally at Sabi Gold Mine but since operations resumed and security has been beefed up, it is now difficult to operate at the mine.
So daring are the gold panners that they are digging outside buildings such as MSU campus classroom blocks and near people's houses .
They are also destroying the environment in general.
Zvishavane town council chairman Councillor Khulekhani Ndlovu confirmed that the road and basic infrastructure in the town was under threat from illegal mining activities.
"On Friday last week, students, teachers and residents using a road that passes through Midlands State University (MSU) Zvishavane campus woke up to find part of the road that links the campus and Noelvale suburb collapsed as a result of underground tunnels opened up by illegal miners," he said.
Clr Ndlovu said council is working on rehabilitating the road.
He said they have alerted relevant authorities about the illegal gold mining activities affecting the town's infrastructure.
"The illegal miners are digging directly under the roads which is very dangerous. We have been moving around town to assess the level of destruction," said Clr Ndlovu.
He said what the illegal miners were doing was dangerous to motorists, residents and animals as well.
"A disaster is looming in this town unless these illegal activities are stopped immediately," said Clr Ndlovu.
An illegal miner who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were aware of the dangers of digging under roads and near buildings but had no option because they want to earn a living.
He said they are always running away from police because they are operating illegally.
"We have tried other avenues of making money but we are failing hence we have resorted to these illegal activities. We understand some of us are damaging infrastructure which is wrong," he said.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Midlands spokesperson, Mr Oswald Ndlovu confirmed that illegal gold miners were wreaking havoc in Zvishavane town.
"I can confirm having received such reports and its bad what is happening to the infrastructure and the environment in Zvishavane town," he said.
Mr Ndlovu said mining is a prescribed activity in terms of the Environmental Management Act hence all mining activities can only commence after an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been granted.
He said there are problems linked to illegal gold mining such as death of people and use of dangerous metals like mercury in rivers.
The panners dug under the tarred road that passes through the campus leading to the road's collapse.
Vehicles were forced to use other routes to get to the campus while pedestrians used the other side of the road.
Most of the panners who have invaded the mining town, used to operate illegally at Sabi Gold Mine but since operations resumed and security has been beefed up, it is now difficult to operate at the mine.
So daring are the gold panners that they are digging outside buildings such as MSU campus classroom blocks and near people's houses .
They are also destroying the environment in general.
Zvishavane town council chairman Councillor Khulekhani Ndlovu confirmed that the road and basic infrastructure in the town was under threat from illegal mining activities.
"On Friday last week, students, teachers and residents using a road that passes through Midlands State University (MSU) Zvishavane campus woke up to find part of the road that links the campus and Noelvale suburb collapsed as a result of underground tunnels opened up by illegal miners," he said.
Clr Ndlovu said council is working on rehabilitating the road.
He said they have alerted relevant authorities about the illegal gold mining activities affecting the town's infrastructure.
He said what the illegal miners were doing was dangerous to motorists, residents and animals as well.
"A disaster is looming in this town unless these illegal activities are stopped immediately," said Clr Ndlovu.
An illegal miner who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were aware of the dangers of digging under roads and near buildings but had no option because they want to earn a living.
He said they are always running away from police because they are operating illegally.
"We have tried other avenues of making money but we are failing hence we have resorted to these illegal activities. We understand some of us are damaging infrastructure which is wrong," he said.
Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Midlands spokesperson, Mr Oswald Ndlovu confirmed that illegal gold miners were wreaking havoc in Zvishavane town.
"I can confirm having received such reports and its bad what is happening to the infrastructure and the environment in Zvishavane town," he said.
Mr Ndlovu said mining is a prescribed activity in terms of the Environmental Management Act hence all mining activities can only commence after an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been granted.
He said there are problems linked to illegal gold mining such as death of people and use of dangerous metals like mercury in rivers.
Source - The Chronicle
