Illegal miners body abandoned in shaft

By Alvina Chiwanika | Masvingo Mirror |

The body of David Ncube (21) of Makusha location in Shurugwi was abandoned in a mine shaft on 10 August after it fell further down the pit as rescuers pulled it from underneath a boulder that had squashed it.

Ministry of Mines officials were called to assist but they recommended that the rescue operation be abandoned because Mahure Mine had become unstable and several lives were lost there.

Midlands Police spokesperson Emmanuel Mahoko said he was yet to get information on the incident.

Ncubes mother, Tamelani Masuka who is visually impaired was shattered by the incident and she told The Mirror that her son was the family bread winner. Masuka had two children and the deceased looked after the whole family including his nine-year-old sister.

Juveniles and youth in Shurugwi are abandoning school at an early age because of poverty and going into illegal mining.

I dont know why God has done this to me. David is the one who bought us a stand where we are staying now and he had promised to build a house for us. He provided for the three of us. We dont know where to start without him, said Masuka.

Ncubes father Thomas Ncube said his son left home on Saturday morning as usual going to the mine and he never returned.

“He always went to the mine at around 3am and came back at around 10am. This Mahure Mine was abandoned by the owner last year due to heavy rains. When I realised that he had not returned home, I gathered people from the community and went to the mine where we met his friend and told him the issue. The friend showed us the place where the deceased used to mine and we started looking for him.

“We found him trapped by a big boulder but the body slipped and dropped further down into the water when we pushed away the stone,” said Thomas.

The Ministry of Mines recommended that he be buried in the shaft because the mine had become a danger to human life.

“I am blind as you can see and my husband is not healthy. I had two children; the deceased and this young girl who is 9 years. David took care of the family through illegal mining. The residential stand where we stay was bought for us by him,” said Masuka.