Zimbabwe

50 miners still trapped in flooded Zim mines

Nine rescued, but rally more important for President Emmerson Mnangagwa

17 February 2019 - 00:00 By RAY NDLOVU

Rescue workers pulled nine survivors from a flooded mine yesterday and searched desperately for 50 more who are still missing - while 400km away President Emmerson Mnangagwa partied at a rally to thank supporters for voting him into power.
The president has come under fire for attending the rally, with some saying he should have instead visited survivors in hospital.
The government has also been criticised for its slow response to the disaster - rescue operations began more than 48 hours after it occurred on Tuesday night.
Deputy mines minister Polite Kambamura acknowledged failings in the disaster response. "We need to be ready always, since now we have small-scale miners mining everywhere. We have taken about two days to react, just to pump out the water."
At least 60 illegal gold miners, commonly referred to as "makorokoza", are thought to have been underground when the flooding occurred at the disused Cricket 3 and Jongwe Mining Co-operative mine on Tuesday night. By yesterday afternoon, 20 bodies had been recovered.
One of the survivors spoke of his four days underground, neck-deep in water. He found a ledge when the water rushed in. "I didn't believe I would come out alive, there was no food and we couldn't sleep," he said.
The accident in Battlefields, 175km west of Harare, has highlighted the dangers facing illegal gold miners, who accounted for a significant slice of Zimbabwe's record 33-ton production last year.
"So far we have managed to bring out nine miners alive and we are yet to assess and find any more people down there who are still alive," Tapererwa Paswavaviri, the government's deputy chief mining engineer, told reporters at the scene.
"Indications are that some of the guys succumbed to gases from their blasting operations."
On Friday, Mnangagwa declared a "state of disaster" and the government has asked for donations of $200,000 to help with rescue operations.
"Given the magnitude of this disaster, we appeal to individuals, development partners and the corporate world for assistance in cash and kind," said July Moyo, the local government minister, who is spearheading the government response.
Moyo said donations were needed to help pay for pumping operations, "to feed the bereaved families and the rescue teams on the ground, transportation and burial of the victims".
Rashweat Mukundu, director of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, said it was "insensitive" to hold thank-you rallies for party supporters at a time of a great national loss.
"We would expect the political leadership to be at the forefront," Mukundu said.
"But what we have seen is the lack of empathy from the political leadership and government officials. It's a sign of the collapse of the social fabric in Zimbabwe, where politics is at the centre of everything.
"The tragedy itself has not gripped society and is being referred to as simply an accident."
MDC national spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the government response to the tragedy was "a disgrace".
Several mining companies, including Zimplats and RioZim, have joined small-scale miners and the civil protection unit in rescue efforts.
Wilson Gwatiringa, spokesperson for RioZim, which owns one of the mines, said the shaft had been flooded after a dam wall burst due to heavy rains. "[Our] mine was no longer in operation. We are assisting on humanitarian grounds."
Virginia Marimbe is one of the Battlefields residents waiting for word on the fate of missing relatives. "We were told that [my nephew] was among the miners who had entered the mine. So we are here now waiting for his recovery."
Lack of alternative work means illegal gold mining, with all its risks, is the only source of income for many in the town.
The Zimbabwe Mining Federation, which represents small-scale miners, estimates there are more than 1.5-million artisanal miners across the country. - Additional reporting by AFP..

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