Illegal gold panner trapped to death

MUTARE – An illegal miner was trapped to death on Monday, while

another escaped unhurt after a rock fell

in a mine shaft in Chakohwa, Chimanimani district.

Manicaland Police Spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa on

Wednesday confirmed  the death Zondai Muyambo (38) from Chakohwa

business centre under Chief Mutambara in Chimanimani.

Kakohwa said police struggled to retrieve the trapped body of Muyambo

for a day and only managed to retrieve it on Tuesday.

Innocent Chitembwe (19) from Tsvigwe area in Penhalonga who was in the

company of Muyambo escaped unhurt.

Kakohwa, however urged artisanal panners miners to stop engaging in

illegal mining activities to safeguard their lives.

The incident comes after shortly after 26 illegal miners died three weeks ago when interlinked shafts and tunnels at two mines in Battlefields in Kadoma were flooded after the collapse of a dam wall

due to heavy rains received in the area.

The dam wall reportedly collapsed flooding shafts at the RioZim-owned

Cricket Mine and another one owned by a Mr Baxter.