News / Local
Gwanda - Beitbridge road faces collapse as illegal miner tunnel under it
13 Jan 2024 at 01:47hrs | Views
ILLEGAL gold miners have dug a 4-metre tunnel under a section of the Gwanda-Beitbridge Road as their vandalism of national infrastructure continues unabated with several roads and railway infrastructure in Matabeleland having been damaged by the panners.
The gold panners are said to have dug a section at the 144,7 km peg between Gwanda and Collen Bawn threatening the integrity of the road.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said Masvingo-Mbalabala Road, other sections of Bulawayo Beitbridge Road, Maphisa-Mphoengs Road, Old Gwanda Road, and Makwe Road under the jurisdiction of the Gwanda Rural District Council are parts of the road that have been damaged by the illegal gold miners.
The miners have also damaged parts of the Bulawayo Beitbridge railway track.
Following the digging of the tunnel at the 144,7 km peg between Gwanda and Collen Bawn, the Ministry has implemented emergency interventions of backfilling to prevent the road from collapsing.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development expressed concern over the gold panners' vandalism of national infrastructure.
"The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development has noted with great concern the numerous cases of illegal mining on the road and railway track servitudes with the recent case in Matabeleland South Province which has recorded various cases of illegal mining on the road at the 144,7 km peg between Gwanda and Collen Bawn," read the statement.
"Illegal miners tunneled through around close to 4m under the road surface, and a crack emerged directly above the tunnel due to heavy rains."
It said an inter-government department has conducted an assessment tour of the vandalism to the road network.
The Ministry said the Department of Roads, Environmental Management Agency, Ministry of Mines and Mining Development were part of the agencies that were part of the joint investigation.
It encouraged the public to report those seen vandalizing the national infrastructure.
"As an interim remedial intervention, the Department of Roads managed to backfill all the openings to prevent rain water runoff from infiltrating the ground through the opening and erected a signage to alert motorists to exercise extreme caution as they go through the section of the road," reads the statement.
"The Ministry would like to encourage the general public not to vandalise public infrastructure as this is detrimental to the country's development. Furthermore, we would like to appeal to the public to report such activities so that the culprits will be brought before justice."
The gold panners are said to have dug a section at the 144,7 km peg between Gwanda and Collen Bawn threatening the integrity of the road.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said Masvingo-Mbalabala Road, other sections of Bulawayo Beitbridge Road, Maphisa-Mphoengs Road, Old Gwanda Road, and Makwe Road under the jurisdiction of the Gwanda Rural District Council are parts of the road that have been damaged by the illegal gold miners.
The miners have also damaged parts of the Bulawayo Beitbridge railway track.
Following the digging of the tunnel at the 144,7 km peg between Gwanda and Collen Bawn, the Ministry has implemented emergency interventions of backfilling to prevent the road from collapsing.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development expressed concern over the gold panners' vandalism of national infrastructure.
"Illegal miners tunneled through around close to 4m under the road surface, and a crack emerged directly above the tunnel due to heavy rains."
It said an inter-government department has conducted an assessment tour of the vandalism to the road network.
The Ministry said the Department of Roads, Environmental Management Agency, Ministry of Mines and Mining Development were part of the agencies that were part of the joint investigation.
It encouraged the public to report those seen vandalizing the national infrastructure.
"As an interim remedial intervention, the Department of Roads managed to backfill all the openings to prevent rain water runoff from infiltrating the ground through the opening and erected a signage to alert motorists to exercise extreme caution as they go through the section of the road," reads the statement.
"The Ministry would like to encourage the general public not to vandalise public infrastructure as this is detrimental to the country's development. Furthermore, we would like to appeal to the public to report such activities so that the culprits will be brought before justice."
Source - The Chronicle
