Artisanal miners plying their trade at Jumbo gold mine in Mazowe are dicing with death as they have turned a deaf ear to calls for them to stop mining operations as the mine’s structures are teetering on the brink of collapse.
Zim Morning Post understands that illegal miners tampered with the underground pillars that hold the mine and there is growing concerns of the water levels rising posing a great risk to the miners.
“ Jumbo mine is overcrowded with more than 1000 miners operating underground without knowledge of how and where to dig.
“They pay police officers $30 USD to sneak in the mine and just recently three people died ,” revealed an official at the mine.
“Water levels are rising and it is not pumped out and the mine shaft is in real danger of floods.
“Shortage of water and sanitation is also a matter of concern as diseases are likely to rise,” he added.
Jumbo mine has become a cosmopolitan hub as it has been invaded by people of different tribes with some coming from as far as Bulawayo and among them are the infamous MaShurugwi ( known for their violence.
The Mashurugwi use machetes and they are the mine ‘terrorists’ as they force miners to drop syndicates by either killing or submitting to their demands hence making the environment more dangerous.
Last month nine illegal gold panners died, while two were seriously injured in an explosion at Jumbo Mine, after a syndicate failed to communicate that it was detonating explosives underground.
