The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Reporter
A COLLAPSED mine shaft at disused Old Motapa Mine will be excavated soon as there are fears that there are more bodies that may have not been retrieved after the shaft collapsed sometime in April this year.
Alarm and fear was raised, when Bubi Rural District Council endevoured a mining expedition, after it entered into a contract with the owners of the mine.
Bubi RDC chief executive officer Mr Patson Mlilo confirmed the development, stating that when they were excavating the shaft a bad smell emanated from the hole raising fears that there could be more bodies buried.
“We entered into a contract with the owners of the mine, as council. When we were working on excavating the shaft there was a near cave in and a bad smell came out. It could be possible that there are other bodies that were not retrieved but, as we worked with rescue teams when disaster struck two months ago we thought all was well,” said Mr Mlilo.
He said they would soon start excavating the shaft, as the excavator had since broken down.
“The excavator broke down and it is being repaired as we speak. We will need at least 6-10 hours to work on the area so that we are able to find the bodies if there are any,” said Mr Mlilo.
He said traditional leaders from the community had since performed rituals at the site and would complete the rituals once the bodies had been retrieved.
“It has been about two months since the disaster and the smell must be mortifying. I wasn’t at the site but I am told the odour is unbearable,” said Mr Mlilo.
Mr Mlilo added that he had since engaged various community leaders on the issue and it was agreed that the shaft be excavated.
“We held the meeting for the district leadership on Motapa mine. I can report that an amicable decision was reached that council and the community share equally and both sides are transparent.
‘…However, the managers at the mine brought bad news that there is a very bad smell coming from the collapsed shaft believed to be for illegal miners that remained when others were removed,” said Mr Mlilo.
Six people died after the shaft caved in on them and other panners, who were rescued by a rescue team from How Mine and Isabella Mine in April this year.
Initially 15 bodies were believed to have been buried in the shaft before police released an official figure of 6.
For the past few weeks villagers have been speculating that there may have been more bodies that were not retrieved from the shaft, with some claiming to have relatives missing since the time of the incident.
“Some families claim that they have missing members and believe they could have been buried in the shaft. Some panners also claim that there are very bad odours in the shaft and believe it is decomposing human bodies,” said a source who requested anonymity.
