News / Local
Kwekwe faces total collapse into mine tunnels
01 Jun 2023 at 01:55hrs | Views
AN environmental catastrophe looms in Kwekwe, a gold mining city about 200km southwest of Harare, where properties are being swallowed by mine tunnels underneath them.
Unregulated exploration by artisanal miners commonly referred to as ‘makorokoza' at the gold-rich Globe and Phoenix Mine situated in the heart of the city is causing gaping holes that environmentalists warn have potential to collapse the entire town.
In a recent development, two rooms of a family house sunk into a pit rendering the property inhabitable following yet another tragedy last year in which the dining room collapsed.
Information Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana took to Twitter to highlight the disaster wrought by haphazard mining activities in the area, which the government was reportedly seized with.
"Govt continues to grapple with cases of illegal mining activities, particularly in Kwekwe. This is a house in Silver Oaks Street, near Globe and Phoenix Mine, belonging to Mrs Rusike and her family. The dining room collapsed into a tunnel a year ago, forcing them out of their home," wrote Mangwana.
RELATED: Illegal mining sinks Kwekwe as makorokoza dig under roads and buildings: Govt explores ways of avoiding total destruction
"Last evening, the kitchen and bathroom gave in, owing to the dynamite explosion from the mining activities around the area.
"This revealed a huge shaft that has been underneath the house. The Cabinet has an inter-ministerial team to deal with this."
In March this year, a classroom block at Globe and Phoenix Primary School dropped into a sinkhole resulting in at least 17 primary school children being injured.
The primary school is situated near two gold mines.
School authorities had complained about illegal mining activities underneath its grounds in the past, local lawmaker Judith Tobaiwa told the media then.
Efforts to get a comment from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and mines officials were fruitless by the time of publishing.
Unregulated exploration by artisanal miners commonly referred to as ‘makorokoza' at the gold-rich Globe and Phoenix Mine situated in the heart of the city is causing gaping holes that environmentalists warn have potential to collapse the entire town.
In a recent development, two rooms of a family house sunk into a pit rendering the property inhabitable following yet another tragedy last year in which the dining room collapsed.
Information Permanent Secretary, Nick Mangwana took to Twitter to highlight the disaster wrought by haphazard mining activities in the area, which the government was reportedly seized with.
"Govt continues to grapple with cases of illegal mining activities, particularly in Kwekwe. This is a house in Silver Oaks Street, near Globe and Phoenix Mine, belonging to Mrs Rusike and her family. The dining room collapsed into a tunnel a year ago, forcing them out of their home," wrote Mangwana.
RELATED: Illegal mining sinks Kwekwe as makorokoza dig under roads and buildings: Govt explores ways of avoiding total destruction
"Last evening, the kitchen and bathroom gave in, owing to the dynamite explosion from the mining activities around the area.
"This revealed a huge shaft that has been underneath the house. The Cabinet has an inter-ministerial team to deal with this."
In March this year, a classroom block at Globe and Phoenix Primary School dropped into a sinkhole resulting in at least 17 primary school children being injured.
The primary school is situated near two gold mines.
School authorities had complained about illegal mining activities underneath its grounds in the past, local lawmaker Judith Tobaiwa told the media then.
Efforts to get a comment from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and mines officials were fruitless by the time of publishing.
Source - NewZimbabwe
