Gold panner drowns in shaft

A GOLD panner died while five of his colleagues escaped death by a whisker after a mining shaft they were working in was flooded by water in Colleen Bawn.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which happened on Thursday.

He identified the deceased as Mgcini Ndlovu (21) of Garanyemba area in Gwanda South.

His body was retrieved from the shaft yesterday.

"There were six of them conducting mining activities in a mining shaft. Water started flooding the shaft from the bottom because of incessant rains. Five of them managed to escape to safety but the deceased slipped and plunged into the shaft and drowned. The body was retrieved yesterday and it's currently awaiting post-mortem," said Insp Ndebele.

He warned gold panners working in unsecured mining shafts to stop their mining activities as there were fears that more lives could be lost.

"As the rains are continuously pounding the district, water levels are increasing underground. We are warning those who are conducting mining activities especially in shafts which are not properly secured to stop mining activities until the situation improves. We fear that there could be loss of more lives due to these rains," Insp Ndebele said.

On Wednesday, the Civil Protection Unit said Mzingwane River and its tributaries notably Insiza, Silalatshani, Nkankezi and others were flooded and gold panners must not carry out any activities as it was dangerous.

"Makorokoza must not conduct any gold panning in these rivers or any other river in the country as doing so exposes them to the danger of drowning. A number of makorokoza have had to be rescued and others may have been swept away," the CPU said in a statement.

"It is advised that no gold panning or other activity may be undertaken within or near a river even if it is not raining in that particular area ; no attempt must be made to venture into flooded rivers, bridges must be used to cross such rivers; the public must desist from conducting any activity on the river downstream to spilling dams; communities with equipment such as movable water pumps downstream of major dams are urged to remove the equipment to avoid losses; everyone living near rivers must be on high alert."